


Peace and harmony...till someone gets killed

by Tunder28



Category: Hellboy (Movies), Hellboy (comic), Hellboy - All Media Types
Genre: Fantasy, Gen, Hellboy - Freeform, M/M, Multi, Other, Psychic Abilities, Supernatural Beings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-09
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2017-10-24 11:05:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 53,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/262764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tunder28/pseuds/Tunder28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nuada’s huffed, breath fanned his hair out of his face for a moment as he looked on the human in slight reserved smugness. “Peaceful. I see nothing peaceful about this human. Your claims of peace are empty as I sit behind your pathetic bars and you lecture and demand me of peace. You deserve no respect as you have not earned it. If you wish to give me something, give me my blade... so I may run you through with it”<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Peace

**Author's Note:**

> At the moment dont have a beta reader so if there is a mistake let me know and i'll fix it.

Chapter 1- Peace

How would they see him now, crouched under their scrutiny, waiting for the time when they no longer have need of him. Their whims are as fleeting as their intakes of breath. As soon as they have extracted all his knowledge they will dissect him like all the other unknowns, seeking for more when there is none. Such filthy creatures were not meant to exist. They spread themselves all over the planet in their many shapes and sizes, taking what isn’t theirs and then claiming it is. Why try to save a species which kills itself and all other things around it. That is the only other occurring thought that runs through his mind as he sits in his shackles, staring past the electrocuted bars of his cell, watching the random guards come and go. That thought, and how much he wanted to kill humans. None of them paid him any attention. Just the way he liked it.

There had been an incident a month ago where a scientist had spoken to him, tried to befriend him as he injected needles to numb his senses and mind. He explained the process, as if it would make him relax, come to terms with it. Well, the ‘nice’ scientist had to have surgery to save his eyes after the needle conveniently broke off in his arm, deflecting a shard back at the good man’s eyes. It was over rather quickly. The man’s pathetic bleating disappeared out the door and he was sent back to his cell. That was the end of his day.  
The door sizzled into silence and for a moment he wondered if there had be a failure on someone’s part. He was not so strong as to lift a tank but he was stronger than a human, and could easily bend the bars to allow him freedom. No, something else was happening. The humans had never been so careless as to allow any slips. He would give them that.  
A balding man appeared on the other side of the bars, an almost sneer present. Nuada wanted to kill him the moment he laid eyes on him. His posture showed a sense of arrogance that only humans with some authority could hold as an annoying aura around them.

“My name in Mr Tom Manning, head of the bureau of paranormals research and defence, and I would like to speak with you-“  
“Speak your business human and then be gone. I tire of your kind quickly”. By all appearances, Nuada looked to be sitting idly, indulging Manning only because he chose to.  
With a shuffle of annoyance that showed only some of Manning’s displeasure, he allowed the interruption and continued on. “I’m here to speak with you on the matter of your sentence. As an elf you are entitled to rights and there are things that you might be inclined to have. However you are still a danger to the rest of the world and are still sentenced to a life sentence”- “Until what human! Until I learn the error of my ways, until I bow to your every command and hide in the shadows and scurry underground like a rat!” Nuada’s scars deepened with his scowl as he attempted to either kill the human with his deadly gaze or make him scurry away like all the rest when presented with his rage.  
Manning’s eyebrows deepened into an angry frown as he stepped closer to the bars, lucky for him that the power had been cut off. He poked with his fingers just inches from the metal, punctuating his words. “Now you listen to me. I am the head authority around here. I will be spoken to with respect, and we are having a peaceful discussion and it will remain that way”.

Nuada’s huffed breath fanned his hair out of his face for a moment as he looked on the human in slight reserved smugness. “Peaceful. I see nothing peaceful about this human. Your claims of peace are empty as I sit behind your pathetic bars and you lecture and demand me of peace. You deserve no respect as you have not earned it. If you wish to give me something, give me my blade... so I may run you through with it” as he spoke Nuada had almost reached the bars , less than an arm’s reach he could have reached through the bars and had this human by the throat and broken his neck.  
The bars zapped back to life, just missing taking Manning’s eyebrows away that had climbed up his head. He’d stepped back unconsciously through Nuada’s rant, showing weakness where he should have held his front... Nuada hated him already. He almost anticipated the noises this human would make when he impaled him on his sword, a bleating sheep that wouldn’t shut up until its killing blow. Sickening.

Manning left quickly after that, not really stating what it was that he wanted off Nuada, and Nuada didn’t care. He was left alone now and that’s all he wanted. Being alone meant no doctors to press needles into him, no guards to give him hot glares of hate that made his gut ache to kill them all and any other human that crossed his path. Sitting on his small bed stuck literally into the wall he settled down, one ear open for if the power should fail on the bars or be disrupted for any moment. He would not wait again. They didn’t deserve to be allowed to live with their arrogance for holding him here. He fell into a light doze, one that appeared to the humans as a deep sleep, almost silent breath and loose limbs that would allow them to relax and him to take advantage of their mistakes.  
He just had to wait. It was ok, he’d been waiting for years for his chance at destroying humanity, a little more wouldn’t hurt him.


	2. Myers secrets

Myers hated his life sometimes. Day in and day out, coming in for 8am, which consists of him either living at the base or getting up at 6 to get ready and nearly be late every morning. But he preferred to have some life outside his work and opted to stay in his small but cozy apartment that smelled of cats due to the last owner. Some cats still come round his door for food even when the lady had moved to a retirement home, so he left some food out he hadn’t finished eating as he stumbled out his door each morning. There was the same repetitive hello’s to people he crossed, mostly the drunk man from 2 doors down who was always in the hallway, no doubt kicked out the apartment by his other half for being drunk. Myers didn’t really care. He didn’t care really about the times and the repetitiveness. What he did care about were the people he worked for and getting into work on time to see wonders, and horrors he could never have imagined.  
After the business with Hellboy and being threatened he would to be shipped off to Antarctica he quickly put in a transfer to another base of operation. One that would take him away from an overbearing red demon who made it his job to make Myers job hell for as long as he was forced to look after him. Myers didn’t blame him, but on principle he still felt angry at having to flee. That’s what his life felt like from that moment on, struggling to an unknown destination he’s not too sure he wants to be.

Joining the BPRD was about making something of himself and his...unusualness. Abe picked up on it but for Myers own courtesy he remained silent on the topic. So Myers tended to sometimes lose focus of things, go home and then dream in so much detail on cases he shouldn’t know anything about that will later be discovered on closer inspection. He just has... a keen eye. He’s been telling himself it for as long as he can remember.  
Knowing things tends not to go over well when you cant prove or back them up. So silence is his best option. Abe’s first puzzled glance at him when they first met was the same as his curious stare after Myers whenever he came or went from a room. A stare that followed Myers like he’d done something wrong, and for a while Myers smiled and politely ignored it, and no one suspected.  
It was Myers fault really, when he was confronted by Hellboy about Liz and something slipped out that he really shouldn’t have said, let alone knew.

There’s a reason behind Liz’s cross she always wears. No one seems to guess it but Myers who conveniently had to open his big mouth at the precise moment he really shouldn’t have.  
Myers had been setting up Hellboy’s meals as per usual, not looking at the trays staked with chilli sauce dishes, pork chops and other unmentionables. He preferred to keep his breakfast in his stomach as he knew Hellboy put ALL the food away within an hour, and John just didn’t want to think about it.  
After stacking the trays he would wander round, trying to neaten things up for Hellboy’s tails to come and knock it down. His normal “has a mind of its own” had stopped working on John 2 days into babysitting the demon. So taking it in his stride and NOT cleaning the new mess, he’d move on, fixing, checking things worked, and taking abuse randomly off Hellboy....all in a day’s work.

Liz had perched herself on a huge chair that looked so comfy John’s back ached for him to rest in it. Liz looked relaxed, almost asleep, and Hellboy just didn’t know when to leave something alone. They’d been arguing, over which john didn’t want to know. So he kept his head down and ignored the glare Hellboy was shooting at him and then over to Liz. Not particularly her but her new necklace. After the last near end of the world that was narrowly missed Liz had suddenly showed up with it.  
A cross, of all things. John didn’t understand it. And so it went unmentioned. But being in the same room as Hellboy as he basically breathed his detest at him made john want to get over his chores quick and leave the two to argue it out as they usually do. While Liz slept, Hellboy openly glared. It was going to be a long day, and so it went for the rest of the afternoon, Hellboy creating problems that required John specifically to clean up.  
It got to the point where he could feel a throbbing vein in his head, the thumping making him want to pummel Hellboy, but he reined it in, since he knew breaking his hands wouldn’t spare him from doing his work tomorrow. He knew where Liz had got the necklace and he KNEW Hellboy wouldn’t like it, since he’s protective and so on, but maybe he would let the person live since he was a close friend of his. Maybe. John didn’t hold much thought to how it would tip, but it would most likely always come back on him.

The glare was directed right at his back, and the sensation people say when they can feel someone looking at you he felt his back would burst into flames. Sighing he turned to the demon, only he sort of wished he hadn’t. That hot piercing stare of almost hate was enough to make him want to paddle out the door.  
“Hellboy...is there something wrong-“ok his voice did not pause or break off, he wouldn’t ever live it down if it did.......  
“Where’d Liz get that necklace squirt....” Even said in such a light way it held too much emotion on its tail so john diverted his eyes away from Hellboy’s glare and turned to wipe the table down a 4th time to clean. “erm... not too sure wh-“ Something twitched in Hellboy’s face, just under his eye. John didn’t like the heat of the room...it felt like hell.

“H-ave you asked her?” ok a small croaked voice can be forgivable at the moment. He wouldn’t be tormented by the other agents later for it if they saw the video footage. They’d probably give him an award for lasting as long as he did without flying out the room and through the door to escape.  
“Nah thought I’d ask you....So, any guesses why my girlfriend and love of my life is wearing a necklace ‘I’ never gave her.....” He’s using a slightly deadpan tone, and john hates his life a little more with how unnerving it makes him.

Glancing at Liz in her chair sleeping through this, john felt he could answer, flee for his life and have his bag packed in 4 minutes if he runs his fastest. His transfer papers are in the mail, sending them to a bases location he isn’t too sure of. Stealing a deep breath filled with heat and tension, john makes sure to look Hellboy in the eyes when he said “from Abe”.

To say Hellboy didn’t believe him and overreacted was an understatement. So john did the honourable thing and ran out the room like a man with...well a demon at his heels. He was smaller and flittered through the groups of agents towards Abe’s room, away from the startled shouts of agents being barrelled over and pushed out the way as Hellboy tried to make a path for himself in his angry chase.

Slipping in and not really out of breath john felt a small jolt as Abe floated in his tank per usual, but the stare was back. Dropping his head as to dodge it, john moved further in the room, waiting for the inevitable bang of the door which coincidently was 4 seconds after he’d entered.  
Backing up near the far book shelf but still near Abe with some obstacles in the way john turned to Abe, “Abe, tell him will you about Liz’s necklace, please”.

Abe’s head tilted a touch as he peered at john, seeing into him no doubt but he felt nothing running around inside his head. Abe was graceful in entering minds as he was in the water.  
“Yes Red, that necklace was a gift for her....does she not like it?” Abe could pull off innocence when he wanted, and he played it to its full. Everyone fell for it, even Hellboy, even john...

He dropped out of sight for a second and then reappeared around a side column that john was sure came out the wall. Hellboy remained silent for a few short seconds, then replying to Abe with a mere grunt of acknowledgement and left the room, not looking at Myers as if he’d already forgotten about him. John didn’t know if he should feel relieved by the dismissal or annoyed.  
When he glanced at Abe there was a slight head tilt off him, showing Abe’s interest in the matter. Trying for a hasty retreat he gave Abe a polite and nervous smile and made to vacate the room.

“John, may I talk to you a moment if you will” inwardly he knew it was asking for awkwardness if he ignored Abe and continued on like he had not heard him, but he liked Abe, liked him like a close friend, sort of.  
Turning around and covering his slightly nervous expression with another smile john ventured back closer to Abe, coming within 10 feet of him to ensure he had his attention while still hopefully putting across he had to be elsewhere. He had a job to do after all. One that would pull him away from these awkward situations and blend in with the masses of agents who are ordinary and mere background faces.

Flourishing his hand to emphasise his point, Abe made his way over, “The topic of the necklace...how did you guess it was me that gave Liz it. I’d been meaning to...inform red of its meaning before his overactive mind could jump to the wrong conclusion but I feel my neglect has caused you some trouble”. He stopped then, his hand half hovered in mid air towards john, waiting for his answer. John felt like his mind was on melt down and frozen in madness at the silence that followed. He didn’t want to tell Abe, didn’t want to be like that-thought of like that. There was nothing wrong with Abe, or Liz or on occasion Hellboy, but for him who looked so completely non supernatural, he couldn’t admit to that. It felt wrong.

Flicking his eyes up to Abe, and trying with all his might to pull the shocked expression off of his face, he tried for an innocent smile, a shrug for added effect and, “Lucky guess....” Abe’s hand lowered slowly as his eye blinked rapidly, dissecting the answer without outwardly giving any indications on how he felt. He didn’t look convinced. John made a hasty retreat with the best excuse his job could offer, “I’ve got work to do, I’ll see you later”. He still didn’t get round to seeing any of the others for the rest of the day. Or days that followed.....  
 


	3. First day

“Ok so tell me again why I’m on guard duty” Clay was trailing ahead of John as he pace suggested speed, moving through the corridors and towards the car park. Clays sigh of annoyance was evident, since john hadn’t been informed on what he would be doing in his new position at the base he was transferring to. A quick see you around from Liz and a smug smirk off Hellboy was mostly all john got for his farewell. Abe was in a meeting with Manning and wouldn’t be able to make it. John felt bad for not informing them sooner, but he was glad to have such a quick departure that saved him abuse from Hellboy.

“You’re going to be placed in section 6, area B as a stand in guard since the last few got themselves killed when detaining one of our guests” Clays tone dictated that one, the guards were idiots for such a mistake and two, the murderer was certainly no guest but criminal that was being detained in one of the facility that housed as a small prison for supernatural beings who were a threat against humanity. John’s stomach turned at the thought of it.  
His last farewell was from clay, who gave him a cocky grin, ruffle of his hair and “you’ll do fine” before he slammed the door shut to the car and John was being driven to the base. The likable thing about Clay is he was outgoing and friendly, yet still managed to remain professional overall.

The drive was short and the conversation nonexistent. To say he was nervous would be accurate, as he was literally thrown into the deep end as he was escorted through the double gates at the front of the base. It was raining of all things and the place did indeed look like a military base. Soldiers fitted out with machine guns and shotguns being closely followed by men walking all kinds of nasty dogs patrolled the grounds as he made his way in through the huge metal door that looked like it belonged on a bank than here.

Inside people were rushing about, their pace indicating their tasks were important and of the highest need to be complete. All of them wore military uniforms. Myers felt sweat start to develop around his collar as he neared the front desk. “Hi I’m Special Agent John Myers, I’ve been transferred here starting today?”

The man behind the desk had a stone carved face of muscle and rose from his seat with a salute that John quickly returned even though he’d never been in the army a day in his life. The guard greeted him nice enough, and arranged for him to be guided to his room. His room apparently was as bare as a new born baby, with only a bed in the centre against the far wall and no curtains on the window. At least he had his own room.

Since it was his first day on a base that felt like it was one step away from Armageddon, John didn’t get a change to take a breath to settle in. Guard duty consisted of wearing a uniform and being armed 24/7 in case a prisoner escape ensured. Not like their weapons have been shown to be fruitless in the past when up again supernatural beings that naturally develop armour plating and super speed. But it was calming to know the fire power that was at the bases disposal.

It felt so strange to be outfitted in military uniform, and it made him feel like an imposter waiting to be caught out. The loose pants were nice enough yet the tight boots clucked heavy on the floor each time he walked made him already feel somewhat more in control and in charge with the presence the uniform projected. Instead however of the loose military jackets the younger men wore Myers was give a black military top to wear around, something that noted the rank of each member to each other. John wasn’t informed of what rank he was, but everyone’s eyes slid over him rather than on him, and he hated his new uniform suddenly.

Being posted with his flimsy side arm he only had to stand outside 3 different high security cells, each one decorated with the means to stop its own unique inhabitant should the need arise. His job was to simply march the 10 foot corridor back and forth, making sure each prisoner was not attempting to break out discreetly. He felt like a peeping tom.

Why he was given the position was so over Johns head he felt dizzy and sick thinking about it. Maybe Hellboy had gotten wind of his transfer and wanted him dead so he asked for him to be placed in a high security sector with some of the greatest threats to humanity. John thinks the heart wrenching fear and worry the job will create will be the factor that kills him first before the prisoners. Maybe. At least he wasn’t the only guard to be patrolling the corridor, as Fredrick Utler was another guard stationed with him to patrol and ensure the prisoners stayed indoors. He was a nice man, kind of rugged in his uniform that was like everybody else’s except johns. He had thick glasses and was built tall and slightly broad but strangely not muscular. He looked almost lanky if his shoulders weren’t so wide. He greeted Myers with his name and a quick joke that John laughed too quickly at and kept his eyes above the shirt Myers wore like it would explode if he looked at it. John hated his shirt almost more than the uniform overall suddenly.

The prisoner at the 1st cell was named ‘the duchess’ and Myers didn’t want to know why the plastic walls of her cell were all unfocused and blurred, only showing the woman’s outline within. Her chart just outside her room stated she was a vampire of sorts, and only to be fed once a day ONLY during the day. The plastic cell had small holes near the ceiling to let air and tubes in that were tainted red with what Johns imagination provided could have been blood given her chart. She would talk in such an alluring voice as he passed her cell, stating he was ‘New blood’ or ‘fresh meat’ always made him walk that much faster past her cell. Her common “see you around new blood” made his face burn while her “I like my meat fresh” made him pale so quickly he looked like he’d been drained.

The 2nd cell held a zombie like man whose skin was peeling off like wall paper in some places, and looked bored leaning against the bars of his cell. He name merely stated El and nothing much was writing on his chart that John could see through fleeting glances as he past. He was labelled as undead but not zombie, and had his food scheduled every once a month. John really tried not to think at all about him, as his hollow eyes followed him each time he passed by. It was freaky. He literally fought his brain over thoughts of what he ate and why he ate so rarely. John won in the end for passing on to the 3rd cell. He was surprised to see elf labelled on the chart and he stopped in his tracks when he saw it.

The man lazed around in his room, but he never let his eyes leave the guards who passed his cell, glaring so hard the 1st time John saw him he near tripped over his own feet trying to continue on walking. He hoped he didn’t look as much of a bumbling idiot that he was....but Fred laughed in his trip and warned him of the elves deadly glares.  
John was the last guards replacement who’d lost his cool when ‘Nuada’s’ glares had become too much and threatened the elf with shooting him if he didn’t stop it. Nuada’s reply had been to reach through the bars and smash the guards head against them with a sickening crack. In the space of 3 seconds of it happening Fred said Nuada had disarmed George of his gun and took shots at Fred, who had ran for his life for back up. George died in the medical quarters 2 hours after his head dive into the bars. He was lucky in a sense, as he was brain dead from the high impact. Nuada’s security after that had been picked up, implementing electrocuted metal bars that Nuada then nicknamed as ‘night lights’.

In front of each of the cells was a long yellow line and writing on it was DO NOT CROSS which was 3 feet in front of the cells, ensuring the guards safety away from the prisoners. Myers made sure to keep 5 feet away just to be on the safe side. Fred still laughed at him for it, but Fred laughed at everything, even when nothing was funny. Fred was like that, and it had John thinking as to WHY he was working with him on a near suicide guard watch.


	4. A kings patience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chap for a few days. wanna try and space them out a bit.

Yes he noticed the subtle change of routine in the guards watch, but it wasn’t much. They still walked and talked the same, did the jobs they were assigned. Although the new guard held promise he was skittish and unwilling for a confrontation against the supernatural’s he was placed to watch....he could make use of him. Yes Nuada felt this new guard might be the key to him escaping his containment, where he would hide for a short time in the shadows, perhaps the troll market where there are more willing allies against the humans. Rallying them would be hard as trolls tended to be greedy and wanting more for a bargain, but they could be bought. Nuada would hate them if they did not show such backbone when confronted and at times revel in showing honour and strength over apparently all other creatures. A warrior could respect that in a supernatural race.  
Perhaps, but that is an idea for another time. For now he’ll sit and watch the new guard with the same blank stares he gives all of them, just waiting and biding his time, because patience always rewarded him.

When he was younger he and his sister were made to part, her into books and knowledge, him into fighting and death. The trials he was placed under with the rest of the young fae did nothing to deter him from the thought of surpassing them all to return to his sister and fathers side. He knew pride was a key element in his survival in those times, but it worked. He was a prince after all, and would not fall like so many of the other did. For a fighting race so many of the young ones allowed themselves to fall than to brave the rest of the trials that would continue in their lives for many more centuries. But Nuada understood the meaning of the training from the first time his father had allowed a human to pass through their forest without killing him. The human had then thought the forest was his to take and brought human fighters with him as like so many other before him had tried to rip up the mighty trees and pillage the land. They did not get their tools into the ground before they were wiped out. Nuada had been but a child when he had witnessed this, and had smiled at his father actions, but disagreed with the hesitation to kill.

Life was war, as it had always been, and if you did not fight for yourself or your possession, or even ideas, then some lesser species would come along and rip it from you. That was a lesson in life Nuada held at the front of his mind always.  
When he had questioned his father as he tucked them into their beds of vines laced over the soft golden blankets laid over the earth, his father had sadly smiled down at his stupid son. Such a disappointed smile he used as he tugged the vines in harder to his sons sides to the point it felt uncomfortable. Those were the times when his father was still a warrior and fought for all he held dear, the times that faded with the vast forests. But a disappointed smile for his stupid eager prince of a son, and what a stupid son he had been at the time.

A high elite soldier had explained his father actions to him when lack of an answer off his father had resulted in a near outbreak of fighting within the young fae trainees. He too had a disappointed expression and Nuada felt it was deserved as none should be so stupid and blind to knowledge and logic war actions.

“Young prince, it was not indecision that kept your father from raising war and death onto the foolish humans, for killing one simple human has no sport, and we are not blood drenched like them. He merely waited for the human to bring others, the warriors of their race, so that we may crush them in small groups and dwindle their numbers. Do not forget prince, the humans greatly outnumber all supernatural races. But numbers do not mean they are the better fighters. Do you remember the tale of ‘Gael the swift’”.

Nuada had nodded, for who would dare forget when a fae becomes so great they become a legend among races. Gael had been his grandfather, who was titled the swift for when there had been fighting within the races, and ogres, trolls... it was not killing he was titled for but his swiftness to resolve the issues, bringing about peace between the races, minus the humans. They were a race even his peaceful grandfather knew could not be reasoned with.

His father showed how patients paid off, and Nuada would follow in the man he knew to be a great warrior. A strong unflinching king who was once his father and withered away with the passage of time, fading willingly into decay and dragging the races down with him. Nuada would follow the once proud king...and look with sadness and regret at what his father had became before Nuada had given him a true death. He was king now with the passage of his father, and when he escapes, he will call on them all. When he manages to escapes.


	5. Strange

He’d had to give up so much just to have a job within the organisation. Overqualified for the normal world, and knew too much of the supernatural one, he’d had to take the job at the new base. This meant goodbye apartment, goodbye those annoying cats, goodbye getting up so early, goodbye home, freedom...his life.

John had tried to make his small room unique to him, scattered his little possessions everywhere he could, put up blinds instead of dusty curtains. He got a small desk when he asked for one and put some pictures of Abe, Liz and even Hellboy (a blurred shot) on the desk and sat on the bed, still staring at bland walls and an empty room.

He wasn’t allowed off base unless signed off by the head. His name was Rudolf Hensen and he was a mean looking old man, scars to show his past in war and this life. He didn’t speak much, only to relay short orders for his 5 lieutenants to give out to the men. John had not joined the army ever, had no desire to because of this, yet here he was, stuck.

He requested time off to one of the lieutenants, who had looked at him strangely, glanced at his black unknown rank shirt, nodded and signed some paper. John was shocked. But not as startled and enraged when the paper was passed to the guard who lead him outside to a small garden. That was his free time outside. John hated his life.

Again it was back to the job of walking a small corridor with death only a few feet away behind their own containment. John was bored out of his mind, and was almost begging for SOMETHING to happen. His life was bleeding away and his soul was slowly packing its bags and ready to give him the speech if he didn’t get one day of rest and relaxation away from all the formality of the army life and being a 10 hours a day guard.

He’d just passed the entrance and looped back to do another circuit when the door opened.  
“John Myers?” His heart near stopped from the earlier years of his child hood when a teacher called you by your full name and you knew you were in trouble. “Yes”.

“Telephone call for you. You will be allowed to take the call in your room sir”.  
That sir at the end made John weary and grimace at Fred who grinned at him with a lift of his chin. John hated being called sir and the lack of rank or title he had at this new base confused him of his standing and class. Ignoring Fred he followed the soldier out and back to his room where the man stepped with him to his door, handed him a large and in charge phone that looked like it belonged in a war zone than in his hand and saluted him in.

John’s confused expression followed him into the room and be damned security, closed the door behind him, leaving the soldier to stand watch. He really hated that. Near enough no privacy. He half expected the man to ears drop on him if he wasn’t so certain his room had bugs in it. No doubt they all did.

Tapping a large flashing button he HOPED was the answer call, he heard a mechanical click and a “-ello, John...are you there?” His responded instantly, relaxing his tense shoulders and a soft smirk breaking his face when he recognised the inquisition voice Abe always used when talking to him. Why he used such gentleness with John made him confused but grateful as Abe was always the one he ran to over difficult times. Who would have thought a blue fish guy would take john under his wing and be his unusual guide through his time with them.

“Yes I’m here. Is there something wrong? Are you guys ok?” Abe gave a happy little chuckle on the other end of the phone, “No, no nothing like that. I was ringing you to see how you new job is going. I hear that base is a stickler for rules and just thought you might need some...cheering up”.

Just like Abe to know that. And John felt ashamed sometimes to think he had a slight fear of that with Abe. He really didn’t want to advertise anything about himself to any organisation. Just the thought sent trails of dread up his spine. He’d talked himself round in circles for years about how anyone would respond to it, and had never been able to sum it up. So when lucky guessed got him weird looks for cases he was working on, he put it down to gut feeling and intuition. The best agents would laugh along and clap him on the back for it, using their famous words to their full extent.

John hated lying to Abe, between him and Liz, they were his best friends who were strange and unusual like him and got along like old pals. But now he didn’t need to lie, as he did need cheering up, and he was sure even if he mixed his words Abe would pick up on it in a flash. That’s what he loved and feared about Abe.

“Yes, erm great I guess. Definitely a stickler for rules and everyone keeps calling me sir which I don’t get” Abe again laughed like he knew something funny and joyful down the line “ Well John it’s certainly a step up from Reds squirt and boy scout comments”. That brief reminder of a small friendship he had with hellboy gave a small flair of loss but vanished when John reminded it Hellboy was only a distant friend and one John was probably unwillingly put his life in his hand kind.

“Yes. How’s things been without me. Liz and Red doing ok?” the anyone missing me was left unspoken. He didn’t need the reminder he would be rarely missed by anyone there. His position could quickly be filled and he wasn’t kidding himself on his standings in the organisation. A foot soldier came to a close description.

Abes sighed hard as if to relieve stress “John if only you were here. It’s been slow, no strange happenings around the world. Such bad timing. I’ve just lost my close friend-you that is and all the monsters have decided to take a rest. Red and Liz aren’t responding well to having to live in close quarters with no action. Hmm pity the hallways have had to be remodelled to absorb heat. Liz’s last outburst cost manning’s quite a penny to fix. Red thought it was hilarious...annnddd her reaction was not pretty. I’d rather not talk about it over the phone but I’ve been told I only have 15 minutes to talk to you by the general and the last gentleman I talked to. Strange”.

It was strange. Why would they want to limit his talk time to Abe? He was with the organisation and probably had seen more action and evil in the world than most of the men on base who seemed content to being ordered about to run the prison of theirs.

“Oh ok. Is there anything specific you wanted to talk to me about other than that? I haven’t had much time off and this place is shit tighter than a bank safe. Its trouble just getting some fresh air-“ a light tap sounded on the door and the soldier stuck his head back in. “Sorry sir but your needed back at your station. All corridors are to be patrolled ever few minutes by ‘two’ guards and your area has only one covering the prisoners there”.

John held the phone slightly away from his face in shock. This was so strange and rather unexpected. Surely he hadn’t been talking for 15 minutes. He could count time in his head better than others and knew with certainty that his time wasn’t over. Abe gave a quick “It was lovely to hear from you john do call back next chance you get” As the soldier moved in john said his goodbyes and willingly gave the phone over. “Is there a problem...erm-““No sir, just following orders and protocol. This place holds all kinds of supernatural convicts and we must always stand ready”.

The quickness of the soldier was really sending warning shivers up John’s spine so he nodded along and was escorted back down his path he’d previously taken back to his small little corridor with Fred.

The guard ushered him in and closed the door behind him. John huffed and walked over to Fred who was walking his shift back down the corridor. John was too annoyed to resume the walk just yet. “Can you believe these guys. The hell is going on at this place...”

Fred tiled his head to the left side as he walked on, a smirk just showing at the angle. “Who knows, you got me...” John walked one foot before he noticed a strangeness in the air...it smelled weird and felt...wrong. He stopped in his tracks, his eyes glued to Fred's back as he continued on his normal walking path. The turn at the end revealed what was wrong, as well as the blood trail following him. Why John hadn’t realised that before made him think he was going into shock at seeing the scene in front of him. His right side of his face was torn and ripped as if someone had started biting chunks off of him, eating his face from the side. His shoulder was in a slightly similar condition and the how and why became clear when Fred continued back, walking a bit too close to the cells, bypassing the elf’s cell and coming a bit too close to the 2nd. As he passed a weirdly misshapen head reached through the bars and did a quick strike, taking another chunk.

John recoiled in terror at the sight and noise, but Fred continued on as if nothing was wrong. El the prisoner in the 2nd cell was...eating him apparently alive. John whipped his gun out as Fred walked closer, intent on finishing the circuit. “FRED! Are y-you...” What? Ok! He looked anything but ok. He looked like a zombie with his face half mashed and messed up.

Apparently he didn’t need to wait for any answer, as the bars on El’s cage made a snap and break noise and John witnessed a body pulling itself out into the corridor.  
John might hate his life, but he still wanted it to live.  
 


	6. Humans cant die right

Nuada smirked at the commotion in the corridor, waiting for the young guard to leave and lock the door behind him. Yes, he now had only one man to take care of and then once the door was opened again he would make his escape. Humans were so very stupid to think one of them could ever overpower or control any supernatural creature.   
Gritting his teeth he lay down on the floor of his cell, ignoring the cold that tried to seep into his back, laying still and showing a placid from. Fred, that was the humans name, gave him a passing look but kept on going. Some humans had some sense to continue on their way, pity it would not end well for ignorant humans trained to notice strange behaviour.

Laying back he only need to wait for the guard to get comfortable in his stroll. By the 4th pass the guard was so bored he could see from his position the glazed look in his eyes. Perfect.  
The next round brought him just at the right angle, allowing Nuada his chance. Springing up and reaching through the bars he managed to snag the guards arm and drag him with all his force into the bars that were so thoughtfully electrified. If the force had not cracked the stupid humans head, the bars would have made him brain dead. All within 2 seconds.

Nuada was fumbling to get the stupid humans card key that would open his door but he found humans could be even more frustrating in death as they were in life. The human body can act differently to certain situations, as Nuada suddenly found out. Regardless of his pull, the impact knocked the human in and off the bars in those precious seconds, forcing him to stumble to the size and slip out of his reach. Stupid humans couldn’t even die right.   
He eyed the bars wearily before reaching through with his fingers for the guards leg, trying to ignore the hairs on his arms standing up from the electric field. A sharp tug reminded him of how painful the bars could be, but he was a prince, and such little things were below his threshold. Tugging the guards leg he could just make out the card attached to his upper breast pocket, such a small white card that would give him freedom.   
The corpse gave a sharp tug in the opposite direction, and through pain of torture Nuada would never admit to how unsettled it made him. Without any more options he felt the body get dragged out of reach, and then a ghastly smell of blood and rot fill the air. He knew he was not the only captive in the prison, but the next door occupant had never shown any signs of moving let along stealing the guards body off him.

Nuada stepped back into his cell, glaring at the bars. If only he’d had a few more moments, he could have moved the body within reach of giving him access to that stupid card. A loud crack only made Nuada’s eyes flutter in annoyance. He was not happy with his neighbour.   
He could just make out the flutter of the guards foot, twitching as the undead next door fed on him. Tales of the creature’s were everywhere, and they fed on everything flesh related, regardless if it was human or supernatural. There were also moments in his life where he half wished he did not have his enhanced senses, for the smell of rot and decay coming off his neighbours was near unbearable. They both smelled like dried blood and rotting flesh, each one savouring the death of a human in different ways.   
Tilting his head away as if to stop the smell, Nuada huffed and returned back to him bed. There would just need to be another opportunity for him then. Humans were stupid and Nuada smiled to himself, knowing the moment would present itself when it was good and ready.   
He heard the door open and then an idea struck. The boy guard was so unprepared Nuada need only allow the undead to deal with him and break through that pathetic door. The madness that would follow could create enough of a disruption for him.

He heard the moment the boy recognised something was wrong, sooner than most humans. He gave the boy credit for quickness in sensing danger...like all good prey do. He held himself steady and still far back in his cell when he heard the dragging movement of his neighbour coming out to play with the human guard. He contained his smirk.. until he saw the undead creature move to his cell and start tugging the bars apart as if they were clay. The metal folded around its hands and soon enough there was a gap big enough to fit through....allowing the undead to reach into his cell, where he was cornered. This was unexpected.


	7. fear of death....

John was paralysed when he saw the thing moving. It did not move like a normal person would, as it seemed to draw its upper body forwards like so many of those cheesy zombie movies. It was unnerving to see. And John was more a man to say he froze as if death was breathing on him once the creature was free from its cell. It was not one of his better moments he’ll admit...later.  
He didn’t know what happened, but the undead turned away from him and moving in the opposite direction, opening up a new cell. Without any provocation John was hit with a withered smell of blood and death, knowing deep inside that the next cells occupant was on the menu as well. And Fred was slowing making his way almost lazily towards him. John made a quick decision that he felt was justified.

Turning he drew out his gun, banged with it as hard as he could on the door and walls to draw attention, “hey!, little help in here”. He briefly saw a guard poke his head into a small vision hole but that was it. Great.   
Spinning on his heels with his gun up he was proud of his early days at the FBI academy that trained him to peak his performance in many areas. Body training and keeping yourself exercised was one requirement that all agents had to go behind or get lost, as you didn’t know when you would have to run someone down or outrun them. Mental training came when being assigned to the more supernatural work, as mental barriers were taught to you once you were given the job, a quick take on making sure no mind reading would go on. John wished some of the training helped in keeping his dreams at bay, but nothing worked except exhaustion where his mind didn’t have the power to keep up.

Gun training was fun enough till your trainer made you fire your gun over 50 times in one minute to ensure your own hand and fingers would never let you down in that one crucial moment. John thanked that balding instructor on more than once occasion, one of them being now when his aim was dead on, hitting Fred centre of the head with his first bullet, the second landing a bit off centre before John could pull his mind back and finger off the trigger before he got carried away. The next few landed in ‘El’s’ back, but seemed like all they did was make ugly looking holes. Well, desperate measures and all. John reloaded as fast as he could and unloaded every bullet in his gun. His aim deviated between vital areas such as the heart the spine and finally the head. Headshots seem to do the trick, as the undead slid towards the wall, sliding down it to lie in a bloody mess with its withered mouth agape. John didn’t know what looked worse. Looking on the scene or the mess of the undead’s mouth, still smeared with Fred’s blood and flesh.

Panting John lowered his weapon with relief, jolting when the door behind him swung open and 5 heavily armed soldiers came in carrying advanced looking rifles. They took a quick survey of the area and then all as one, glared at john. The first emotion that hit him was anger as he’d been left alone to deal with the mess, and now these men armed to the teeth with special arms weaponry were glaring at him for stealing the kill. The second emotion that soon followed was slight terror and then disbelief as El was suddenly gripping the nearest solders arm, mouth open and leaning in towards the man’s face. John didn’t know who’s yelp of fright came first, as it was blocked out by the defining roar of rifles.

Since the very kind and well equipped men were fully capable of taking on an undying opponent with their big and bad looking weapons, john decided he’d been a brave enough man and ran for the open door. The noise wasn’t so defining in the corridor and john walked the 20 feet to the next door that was locked and punched in the code to open it where he knew more men were stationed to patrol. What use would he be with a unloaded gun with no ammo and a small troop of armed men behind him. If they didn’t kill the undead, then what chance did he have.

The door gave a puff of air as it opened, and john vaguely had the sense of movement behind him before the door quickly met his head, sending a searing spike of pain. He landed backwards as the door was pulled open and someone stepped over him as if he was a loose rock in the way. grabbing at his head he tried to stop his brains from spilling out, or that’s how bad his head felt. Through slit eyes he caught white blond hair and a tall figure moving down the deserted corridor.   
‘Where are the guards’ and straight away his mind supplied 5 men behind him that were still dealing with El. No doubt they have come to assist as well....but why leave the corridor without some guards. Such a stupid move, just as stupid as not checking the area and keeping his wits about him when 2 cells had been opened and the last occupant was making a silent escape through the last heavy door john had unknowingly opened for him. Great work john. Few days on the job and 2 of the cell mates had gotten out, one had killed his patrol partner and the other had merely sat back and waited for his escape to happen.

He tried to keep tabs on the disappearing figure, but only just caught the backs of legs and feet disappearing into air vents. A clever move since all the door were watched by cameras and the only thing covering the vents was a flimsy piece of plastic and some heat sensors inside.   
Just a big flaw that would now be the undoing of the base. John would laugh at the stupidity of the structure and the almost cliché escape but his head was hurting like he’d just head butted a bull that was in full sprint. Losing consciousness didn’t come for a while and moving was out of the question as he was near sick each time. The burst of rifle shots was still going on just before he fell into the cool and perfect nothingness.


	8. Strangeness at every turn

“What the hell did you think you were playing at! Two of my men were injured and one in med bay with a chunk out of him and your playing sleeping beauty in the corridor instead of going for assistance”. The commanders face was red from screaming his head off at John and another soldier who had come to assist with the undead. After finally putting enough bullets into it and near ripping it apart, they’d thrown the remains back in the cell and an hour later low and behold El was back to his old self staring blankly out the cell once again. But that wasn’t what the problem was.

“This is a secure base and you all basically LET one of the prisoners escape unhindered for the most part. He could be anywhere now thanks to your incompetence”. John didn’t know how to feel as the commander was mostly directing his eyes at the soldier to his right who looked red in the face like he was an inch to exploding himself. John just seemed to be there because he’d been dragged along for the talking to. It was an awkward moment indeed.  
“I expected more from you Johnson. Myers is new here and has JUST been assigned to his post, the least you and your men could have done was provide a secondary precaution if there is instability in one area. I want you ‘personally’ to check every camera and find out how Nuada got out. I want to know the how, the where and you to plug up those holes. GOT IT”. The commander seemed in an angry gorilla stage, fists planted on his desk and doing the dominance act to show who the boss was, let along who the bosses was pissed as hell at.   
“Yes sir, we’re successfully contained the undead and the scientist are working on another cell for him. Nuada’s cell was previously damaged, thus allowing his escape” for a second john thought he saw Johnson’s eyes try to slide towards him but deviated at the last second. Strange. What was more strange was that overall his was the biggest mess-up and he wasn’t even getting a blink of distress off the commander for his part. He was getting some really offsetting vibes from all of this.

“GOOD. Now get out of my office-not you Myers, i want a word with you”. The commander slumped back in his chair and Johnson high tailed it as if another moment in the room would end up with him fired or worse. Taking his cue from the commander John took a seat and hoped this would not turn out in him being fired.   
“right then. So going over what you remember even after the hit to the head. Was there any other details that you feel should be mentioned...” the commander folded his hands together over the desk, looking on at John knowing the next few moments were merely cool down time.

“....erm, I’m unsure if there’s anything else to add sir. I’ve already detailed what i could recall. I suppose I should add the doors are made rather well enforced if my headache has anything to say” This strangely got a chuckle out of the commander and the tension disappeared as quickly as it had exploded when the news had spread of the escape.   
“Alright, make sure to check in again with the med bay in the morning. Your being allowed to take the rest of the day to rest but you will be required to return to your position tomorrow. Another guard will be assigned temporarily to assist you. If there are ANY problems inform someone nearby. Ok, dismissed”, and was already turning away towards a small compartment behind him that John had 100% certainty held a strong drink inside.   
Rising he left and managed to close the door behind him before Johnson was closing in on him.

“Myers!. I need a word. Now if you would” and about faced and marched off down the corridor. John half wished he could pretend to be deaf so he could crawl under his blankets in his room and sleep till his next station time. Catching up to the brisk walking soldier John spotted a few onlookers giving him the same quick glance that seemed to then slide over his head. They were looking at him now....but John didn’t like this one. The one where they saw you and realised they shouldn’t look and diverted the stare to a wall. Being ignored was never something that happened to John. He was often the one who got the first jib or insult of new co worked due to his young and innocent appearance. He didn’t like this place. It felt wrong.

Johnson took him to a small room far back in the corridor, lead him into a poorly lit room that was full with monitors on one wall. All these seemed to show the activity of the base, as well as some other areas to.   
“-Is that BPRD facility!....and Abe’s tank, and Hellboys corridor?!”  
Johnson just gave him a bland look, “ Yes and yes. They are supernatural beings that could potentially be a threat to the world. We are instructed to keep an eye on them for the sake of all mankind. Now if you would be so kind as to briefly look through this with me a moment”. He slotted a small tape that was already set at a specific shot of El devouring Fred. Which was also kindly zoomed in.

John thought Johnson was trying to act twisted or menacing to him for not getting the blunt of the blame but a quick look showed he was avidly watching the footage, like a vulture waiting for the moment the prey was dead to swoop in. A quick click and tape played, with just enough audio to allow John to hear El ripping into Fred’s body, thank you very much Johnson hello nightmares.  
“There!” a scene was paused, showing where John had shot El and in the moment john had glanced back to the guards entering, Nuada had done a spider man on the ceiling, crawling above them and following john out when the mayhem started again. Ok so he could ‘somehow’ grip the ceiling or manipulate gravity...or his body weight?? Myers was so unsure how he’d managed. He nodded and Johnson jumped to the next scene to show his findings like an eager student to a teacher. So weird.

Again another paused scene earlier on where all was calm and then John was called away by the random soldier. Fred huffed when he left and continued on, a slight annoyed look on his face, glaring at each prison as he passed till he anger abated with his pace. But he was wandering, not watching how close he was walking and it was eventually his downfall. Such a stupid move and John felt annoyed with Fred for making such a mistake, it was so simple and yet it was now the reason he was dead.

Another scene, and another. Johnson got to the point pretty quickly, showing the small sequence of events that unfolded that eventually caused the trouble now. And John was ‘seriously’ freaked out by some of the stuff Johnson had shown him. El didn’t move, but you could now see from afar his intelligence when he waited for John and Fred to get soft and comfy in their strolls. He held too still, suppressing himself like a snake ready to strike. No movement, and he watched John as if he was a passing interest, not Fred, just him. It left the impression that John was meant to be the meal....but why leave him in the corridor.

John shook his head in disbelief, wincing when a quick pinch of pain hit his right eye and throbbed his whole head. He needed to get moving or he’d not get to bed tonight.   
Johnson flicked to through some of the footage and john saw something in the fast moving video that he did not like. Johnson didn’t seem to notice. For someone so focused on the details of what happened, he was missing the biggest tell. It happened a lot when an agent got fixated on an event and missed the so much bigger picture.

Even ‘the duchess’ outline against her plastic prison was visible up against her cell, her head moving and following Johns trail as he made his rounds, El’s eye tracing him with each pass, Nuada staring ahead and every once in a while glancing at john. No attention on Fred. Perhaps it was the new guy kind of thing where they wanted to suss him out, but John hated seeing the fast playing footage, showing these predators watching the lamb stroll around just out of reach. Just the most perfect thing to go to bed thinking about......  
“Right Goodnight Johnson. I’m going to bed”. Johnson didn’t seem to hear him and John slipped out the room, trying to think on the camera’s and how much they actually saw. Did the others know they were being watched, probably because they were nearly always watched back at the BPRD, but they always had time to themselves, alone time like everyone needs. Did the camera’s pick anything else up....Abe’s random pauses as John noted on something not in the file, his unusual discussion topics that he tried to have with Myers on more than one occasion that John ran for the hill from. Did they pick up on Johns strangeness.

The rough material of the blanket was one of the last small comforts that John felt before a dead sleep took him. He just hoped it was deep enough for no dreams to plague him.  
 


	9. Treasure from the trolls

Johnson glared at the monitor, trying to will it to give him the answers he desired. Nothing seemed to change. He’d been watching the footage over and over. How Nuada waited and bided his time, slowing taking out the guards and walking over their hides like they were simpletons, and slipping out to freedom thanks to Myers opening the door. Funny, all the doors had different codes on and it was always a requirement that a guard be posted at each door. Not only was there no backup guards in the area but the second door was open. Each guard had to rely on the door guard to let them through each area, but John had typed in the right number and it opened. Funny. He’d have to ask him how he knew that. Or maybe there was a fault in the system. The tech guys had been complaining of some problems with their codes lately, so maybe it was a default number to open all doors. Who knew. He’d find out later. When everyone else was awake and he could ask them.....  
His mood didn’t improve and he almost wanted to drag Myers back to watch them with him. But that would entail then pissing the commander off who’d given rest orders. Shame.

**************************************************************************************  
The sewers weren’t so bad once you were used to the smell of decay and rot everywhere, never mind the mess you stepped in. This was like old times for Nuada as he passed under the belly of the troll market once again. He had some items to pick up and merely showing himself to the random stalls will have his old fellow companions rallying to supply him with what he needed. Every race needed a leader, too bad the trolls didn’t have a pack kind of mentality that they could work together for an end goal. No matter, he needed only to lead the masses in one direction. They were big enough to create mayhem wherever they went. And that was perfect for him.

He managed to get a blade that was as close as he was going to get to his silver lance, and it was a poor crafted material indeed. It wouldn’t shatter on a hard hit, but on the right angle it might just break off and injure him. It was temporary weapon anyways. Too bad his father’s old armoury had been sealed off after his death by an old oath that would at the very least ensure that no human got their hands on their weapons. His father had some brains left in his last moments. He gather items from stashes overall and bargained a single bracelet of elf craft for some trinkets that would aid him in his cause. It was justified.

Sometimes he would catch a brief glimpse of other treasures, ones from the old Álfheimr, the city of elves. The only known one. His home where his father rule all elf folk. He quickly pushed the thought away, thinking such things would only serve to distract and he still had days of sifting through the trolls trash to find other items that he would like to acquire. One of them was sitting high on a shelf of a twisted faced troll trying to draw someone attention to his stall, waving his club fist around. A rounded horn sat his atop his head, so grey it almost blended into his grey and green skin.

Nuada pulled the cloak off his head and advance forward, ignoring trolls and smaller kin scattering at his approach and gasping his title and name. He had no time for them at the moment.   
“Troll, I wish to acquire something from your stall”. The troll turned at the attention, a appeased air to him, till he saw the prince. “Oh prince Nuada, I had heard you were dead. Not my truth to them see rumours now eh” the deep gulled laugh vibrated out of the troll, only amplified by Nuada’s bland stare. “indeed, that book, let me see it”.   
The troll managed to not destroy his stall in turning and retrieving the book, dropping it on the table with a deep thud for him. Nuada didn’t touch it, just glared down at it as if he was searching it for some meaning, although as soon as it was close enough he knew what it was. Letting the stall troll know he wanted it would only increase the price.   
“Hmm, no perhaps I was mistaken-“ and turned to leave before the troll bellowed “no elf prince, this a book is very old and has much to say no. It is err on a deal at the moment, and it would not be missed among my ‘other’ treasures...”

Turning back Nuada had to suppress his smile, “Very well, what other treasures do you have”.   
He got the book at a sad low price. Too bad trolls were too eager to make a prince pay riches for rags when they had solid gold items under their noses and couldn’t see it. Their loss. He managed to pick up one small item, a transparent glass orb the troll said to contain the spirit of a air elemental. Nuada knew that was nonsense. The orb was indeed a container, but sadly empty and again the price had been dropped to a low margin of the items value.

It was indeed a container for a soul, that would no doubt come in useful for him later. Pulling the cloak back over his head he vanished back into the market, away and back to the sewers to his privacy. The reminder of all that was lost was constantly around him in the ruins of the troll market, bit of the past thrown around like it was nothing when it was Elvin history being sold to an eager hand of those unworthy. He could almost hate the troll if he didn’t know that humans had given them the means to gather the artefacts.

********************************************************************************

John groaned into his pillow as a beeping cut through his sleep. Glancing over the edge of his blanket he was considering how bad things would get if he simply ignored it, but it didn’t sound right. No reason for it ‘to’ sound right when his head was still throbbing like a drum and in time with the bleeping. Glancing around he couldn’t see what it was and his brain didn’t want to functioning and deduct what device could make such an annoying noise. Rolling over he saw a old army style phone on his bedside table, a small red light at the top blinking in time with the bleeping.

He didn’t know why it was there, but plucked it up and rolled back onto the bed with it as he answered. “(sigh) hello...”   
“John” He felt a jolt run through him at Abes voice, “Abe!, what’s wrong, why are you calling, is something happening” He didn’t know why he was so suddenly panicked, but he felt so wrong and off all of a sudden, sitting in a small room clutching the brick of a phone to his ear, the throbbing of his head gone. Abe’s happy voice seemed distance, like he was a foot or two away from the phone and John felt wrong again. Not even Abe’s cheerful “oh no John just checking up on you” didn’t help.

He stayed quiet, listening if there was anything else that was going to be said, but Abe stayed quiet. “....are you sure-“”No John, everything’s fine. Just checking up on you”. That was strange, and this felt wrong. The room didn’t feel right and he felt like he was standing over a cliff, feeling the rush of dread creep up his chest. “Abe-“ and everything stopped.

Blinking he sighed deep, looking at the wall next to his bed. He was tucked up with the cover wound around his shoulders, his hands clutching the blanket to his chin. John blinked confused, sure he had just been talking to Abe a moment ago on the...phone, that wasn’t in his hand. He blinked once more before his mind threw a word at him. Dream.   
Growling he threw the blanket off and made to throw the rest of his body out of the bed to get up when he saw Johnson stop dead in tracks in his doorway. He looked taken back by John’s almost aggressive posture.

“Johnson....is there something wrong?” Johnson glanced down at him, doing a head to toe check. “No, I knocked and I thought you invited me in. I was just coming to get you. Your needed at your post in an hour. Get changed”.   
Duty called it seemed, so john hastened over to the small cupboard in the corner of his room pulling out new clothes and underwear to change in. He turned back around to get a move on and Johnson was still standing there, looking at him confused.   
“...what?” Johnson shook his head, coming from his daze, “Nothing, you just looked different”. He huffed to cover his discomfort ”Wear that look on your face more often and people might scatter. Anyways get ready soon and head to your post, the new guard will be there before you” and shut the door with a quick snap.

John really didn’t like it here.


	10. Rambo Bill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just felt like ripping into bill. L4d bill ruins me too often.

John said his hi’s and how are you to the new guard who was older than Fred, much older. He looked like he might retire in a few years, still having the old army snap to it march from the old days as he marched the corridor back and forth. John couldn’t get any feel for him and so chose to ‘try ‘ and keep his wits about him, stay away from the line and walk in the boring circuit of the room he would be doing for the next few hours. 

He still got the side stare through, that at least was back to normal and apart from the random dripping coming from the damaged end cell, where Nuada had once been, everything was back to the way it used to be. John sort of didn’t like that. Change was good, fresh, not dull walking back and forth. But it was his job, and he shouldn’t be complaining. Having a dull job meant he could recuperate faster and not worry about letting people down. 

A hiss from the duchess had made him jump out of his skin, the new guard ‘just bill will be fine’ levelling his rifle at her. The look on his face made John feel like he was waiting for the moment to kill a supernatural and step into a Rambo movie. Skittish morning hadn’t even come close to how jumpy John felt walking back past El and the duchess. Even bill made him edgy. 

“Long day Billy boy...why don’t you come over and let me drain it all away” the faint rasp of the duchess’s voice lifted up out of her prison every so often. John kept his eyes down and ignored bill’s glare that jumped from her prison towards him. He didn’t need to suspect that it wasn’t bill the guard she was talking to. 

He’d been anxious walking back into the corridor with his head injury and still having some blood on him. A medic had done a quick wipe down and an even quicker jab of a needle to say all was well. The needle had trace amounts of iron, silver and a hint of antibiotics to help with that. Iron for his blood, silver for if the vampire decided to try her luck and antibiotics to give his pain relief a nice boost. Small mercies.  
*************************************************************************  
After a quick report to the commander, Johnson headed back down to the corridor Myers was set to be guarding. He pocked his head round the bend and peaked in to make sure all was well. He didn’t like leaving things to chance at the moment as once a prisoner got out the others thought up little ideas like trying the same. The whole, if he could do it fell into the mess. 

He saw Myers do his round, then followed by bill. At the moment Bill was demoted due to acts of abandoning his position and another soldier. The ranks were based in American navy form due to the head boss man being American and ‘god dam it this is my base, and you are my soldiers. You will go by what I state’. Yes a bunch of laughs. Johnson had spent year in the army, going by Sergeant Johnson that had earned him some laughs behind his back but none to his face. Now he was below an American Commander CDR who made them near back flip for his entertainment. Johnson couldn’t complain, he got things done. 

Seeing all was well he turned around and went back, weaving through the mazes back towards the commanders room. He needed new instructions on what to do next. Everything was unsettled and it all seemed to happen when Myers got transferred here,. Something was off about him. Just given a position without any background knowledge of army procedure or experience and told to guard some of the biggest dangers to the world. Stupid idea. He watched some scientist scatter as he checked up on the plans for Nuada’s ‘old’ cell, making sure it was coming along and continued on. Scientist seemed to fling themselves into their work stations on his passing and it always brought a smile to his face to see such eagerness to stay on his good side. He was a good ear to the commander, and everyone knew it. 

He passed by the less heavy armoured cells, taking a short cut through the corridors where the lower but annoying supernatural’s were held. He almost missed the rock shaped head coming at him through the bars...almost. Looks like the suppressant drugs were wearing off if a golem could bend back the thick bars as it crashed into them. He was too caught up in his own head, as the first knock to the bars deafened him with their shriek and the second bang where the bars peeled away to allow the golem to crash into him sent him into the opposite wall. A crack sounded off inside his head and darkness took him too quick to comprehend what it could mean. 

He didn’t even catch the alarm blearing or the lights flicking to a red.

*****************************************

An alarm bleared in the background, making John freeze in his tracks and swing towards the door that Bill was storming towards. He felt anxious and yes, very annoyed at Bill for just leaving him standing half down a corridor harbouring two very dangerous being, also while he was injured. 

A feminine voiceover command came over hidden speakers “Please remain at your posts. An incident has occurred and is being dealt with. Remain at your posts and wait for further instructions”. 

“er- Hey Bill. We’re meant to stay here and keep our pos-“ the door slamming shut behind Bill reminded John of the gong of a deaths bell. Wrapping his hands around his holster and side he kept up the routine walk down his corridor like instructed. If there was trouble it would be hard pressed to get into the area, since each area had special reinforcement and it only got tougher the further in you got or on the outer perimeter. Nothing was getting in or out. Well, Nuada doesn’t count..... kind of. He seemed to be a special case if the commanders reaction was anything to go by. 

“Hey new blood, I got something to whisper in your ear” The duchess was outlines as she pressed up against her cell’s case, and john hoped to god she had a red dress on because his brain just couldn’t take the alternatives. He ignored her and walked on, eyes racing past El even though he felt the trickle of tension and fear sitting on his neck where their eyes followed him. 

“new blood, here. You’ll like it. I promise” Ignoring her, yes that’s what he was going to do. Back and forth think of the headache, ignore the crazy vampire and undead JUST out of arms reach from him. 

“It’s a secret” her voice was smoky and John really wished she’d stop talking because he knew vampire were alluring and it was kind of ruined for her when even if he did pay some interest to her, he only needed to glance slightly to her right and see El hovering there. What a lovely sight to ruin the moment. 

“Alright. It’s a secret.... Your secret...John”.


	11. Secret enchantment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> beta reader not ready yet so if theres a problem, point it out if u want. 
> 
> More on the way

It was against procedure to talk to the prisoners mainly because most used their voice to lure their prey in. This however only worked when attention was given to them. Anything else was a slow power struggle for the predator to gain the interest of the prey. That was not happening. 

“....What” or maybe it was

She laughed in a languish manor, her having all the time in the world and him only long enough to find out what she knew before Bill- IF Bill got back. He didn’t care how old or experience he was John was going to lose his cool with him when he got back. He toed the line where it was labelled in big black words ‘Do not to pass’, moving near her cell and letting his eyes wander all over the corridor. All his brain seemed to be chanting was ‘No eye contact, NO eye contact’. Even though common sense would have pointed out you couldn’t see clear at all into her cell, but John was already having a bad day with a head injury. 

“well... I can smell.....something with you Johnny boy. You don’t smell right. No....you smell, different. Maybe better. Maybe not” she raked her fingers down the wall of her prison, and yep, leaving blood smears with it. So that answered Johns earlier assumption of her blood dress. Which he was not thinking about. 

“But who knows anything about you” She huffed out and stopped just short of a laugh “I bet you don’t even know about you, right Johnny”.

OK Johns brain may be hurting but it was screaming at him to not go there, something was off, it all felt so wrong and strange. John stepped back and then he felt it. Almost like a cloud enveloping him, trying to draw him back towards the duchess with soft pushes at his elbow and back to go forward again. A distant and small voice chimed at him between the ‘told you so’ to ‘she’s entrancing me’ 

A vampire’s entrance allowed for them to seduce and draw in their prey, which would then allow for them to feed. The entrance could be used in many different forms, the main ones being, through appearance, the seconds through the eyes, and the last through the voice. Each was uniquely altered when a person became a vampire, transforming the body in small details and chemical imbalances to create a seductive creature that lured in the weaker prey. It was unaware what traits the males would have, as not many were known to exist and closely guarded within their own race. 

All this filtered through Johns head as he felt his foot floating back forwards while he desperately tried to push his upper body back. The sight would no doubt have been a good laugh if he was not about to walk into a vampires cell who hadn’t been eating her fill for however long she had been in the prison. 

“That’s it. Just a bit closer Johnny. I promise I won’t break you like the last fool. No, your all soft and warm and full of mystery, I’ll especially take my time draining you. Your special John-“

“John” 

“JOHN....-MYERS” John felt a large and rough hand drag him back and it felt like cold air rushing in on him, through the gaps in his clothes and making him start shivering. 

Bill had a handful of his shirt in his hands, almost holding John up where he was standing and something in his face was wrong. John wasn’t liking how it felt, how he felt. 

It rushed in on him like the cold, some hidden knowledge that streamed in from Bill to John just like the cold. It clogged up his brain and he couldn’t talk or think clearly past it. 

It was a sense of knowing. Knowing without a doubt as it filled his mind. Knowing that Bill had purposely left him alone knowing he was injured. Leaving and not being able to get past the second door and coming back, watching John get drawn in. Letting him get drawn in. Because then he would be the hero to come swooping in and save a random guard and be placed back into his old position in the field. To show that he could be trusted because he saved a random guy from being munched on. Acting a hero and getting his old job back that he missed with a blind hatred directed at the commander to taking away from him. It wasn’t his fault the last guy couldn’t keep up and fell behind, falling right into the hands of a small group of miniature goblins who’d ripped him limb from limb in seconds. He had given the rest of the team that much needed time to get away in his dying moments. And it wasn’t his fault for kicking a random shield they’d come across when searching the goblins lair for a very special sword that a tip off stated the goblins had. No, that old piece of junk had landed on his foot when they’d been looking and he’d kicked it against a wall, giving it a nice crack down the middle. The goblins didn’t appreciate the new look. 

Myers sucked in a breath like he was drowning, ragging himself out of Bill’s grip and toppling backwards to the floor. Bill just stood there, looking confused down at him...no sympathy at all. No emotion other that a stupid look on his face like –Why are you on the floor. 

Johns arm hurt from where Bill had been gripping him and he knew it would bruise, knew he’d have finger shaped bruises in an hour or two. He sat on his backside, panting hard and trying to catch air into his lungs that felt starved. Bill was still standing dumbfound and John wished he could talk to shout at him. Rage at him with the fury that was curling in his gut and heating him up inside. If he wanted Bill could have merely stayed back and John would indeed have died. It wasn’t a sense of humanity or compassion for another human that made Bill help him, but greed for his old position and power back. 

The lights blinked and went out for a few seconds, stuttering back to life at only half power and it was there again, the knowing that something was very wrong. Bill seemed to sense it too as he eagerly marched back to the door, slipping back out into the corridor. 

John didn’t care now that he was left. His breathing was coming back to normal and he was feeling slightly better now he had air. The fury was sinking away inside, like it wasn’t his and John hoped to god this never happened again, but it felt right for those few movement. A brief insight into something and everything had righted itself in Johns world, made sense for those perfectly few seconds and then it was back to the waking world where everything was fake and cruel. 

He shook his head to try and clear it, only just catching the duchess’s coy laugh as she leaned up against her glass. “To bad. I really wanted to taste how special you were. But I suppose I can’t fault another trickster for their plans”. She sounded tired near the end of her words, leaning on the glass in boredom. 

John glanced back where Bill had gone. A trickster, yes that sounded close enough. Glaring back at her he said “I can” and stood to dust himself off. His retort seemed to have silence the duchess, leaving the air and silence feeling heavy and constraining. She’d felt some meaning in his loaded words that had made her fall into silence, half expecting ‘something’. John felt it too once he’d gotten himself all sorted out, standing there alone in a corridor with two very dangerous supernatural beings an arm’s reach away, and a corrupt and greedy guard out in the corridor. 

The ‘something’ was unknown till John felt himself go woozy and suddenly remembers his head injury. Swinging to the side he emptied his stomach against the far wall as he leaned heavily on it, trying not to slide down into the mess he’d made as the duchess laughed in the background. He could have sworn he almost he’d a chuckle from El as well, but how would he know, he did have a head injury.


	12. The Uglies

John felt like he’d blinked and when he could take in the room again, he was in bed with the covers thrown over him. Sitting up, his head swam and he forced himself to stay leaning up on his elbows till he could brave sitting up. 

After a moment, he did and got all the way out of bed. Why he was in his room was unknown to him, and why he was still dressed in his work uniform was another. He would never sleep in it but apparently he was. 

The door creaked and moaned as it was opened, making John cringe in dismay at the pain it shot through his head. He was expecting Johnson but instead Bill stepped in, grinning like a smug bastard at john who was hunched over like he’s thrown out his back. 

“Hey John. Just coming to get you. No time for beauty sleep we’ve got some places to be. Commander wants us to monitor some lower prisoners for a bit, make sure they get right back and settled into their cells” and he was still grinning. 

That nagging wrongness was back and John could guess at what it was trying to tell him. Something had happened that made bill very happy, and that could be one of many things, but this grin said his position was either reinstated or it was soon to be. 

Trying not to growl, john reattached his pistol belt and followed him out. 

“How did I get back to my room?” 

“I dropped you off after you near fainted back in the cell block”

Their feet echoed on the corridor that was once full with people now was deserted. “and what happened?”

That got the grin again, as Bill looked sideways at him like the sun was shining out of clouds for him. “One of the lower prisoners in section G got out. Rammed that stuck up Johnson and put him in med bay. Managed to snag a few scientists as well before he was put down. The other prisoners made a right big fuss. Started acting up as well. Commanders not sure what’s been happening last few days, but it’s been putting the prisoners on edge. Anyway’s he wants us down there to make sure all of it goes smooth and slick. Can’t wait to put down a few more of the uglies”. 

Bill was almost trotting along and John didn’t even hide his disgust at him. Uglies...these were supernatural beings, stuff you dreamed about as a kid, that you believed existed until you were old enough to know better. Well, not know better since John had been flung back into the fantasy just not too many years ago. But still. They were mythical and here was a big ape calling THEM uglies. 

John was slightly more pleased when they got to the higher levers, where the corridors weren’t so white and it almost looked like a normal corridors with built in cells. Further along and more reinforced was a large holding area where new prisoners were placed. Currently it was crammed full of prisoners already who had small cuts and bruises on them but overall looking smug. They were being checked on by scientists and doctors who looked in at them through the bars to supervise their injuries and actions. 

People scattered out of their way and John wasn’t sure if it was the surreal grin on Bill’s face or Johns glowering mood that seemed to permit around him like a dark cloud. At least his headache was a small thud for the moment. 

Bill often manhandled the prisoners back to their cell, closely escorted by 2 fully kitted out soldieries holding shotguns in their hands. John had accompanied them for a short time until finally he left Bill to it, merely standing outside the cells looking at the prisoners. Most shot looks at him, far too smug for having split lips, or whatever that was for some of them. 

It was kind of..........nice, to be seen. No one else looked at him. They all looked around and through him but the supernatural’s just glared and stared him in the face. John didn’t really want to look too closely into that. 

Bill came back every couple of minutes, grinning. John was really starting to hate him. It seemed that everyone else thought so as well, as guards, scientists, the doctors and even the supernatural’s were giving him annoyed looks. 

Hours went by like this till finally it was again quite save for the scientists and doctors muttering together over their work. Bill came clunking over in his heavy shoes, nothing out of place on him and smiling like a fool. “ You ready to get back” 

He turned and was about to march back off down the corridor, but john stopped him with a bland “No”. Bill looked back at him as if he was something strange, something to look at through glass than be standing post with him. 

John was fine with it. He was in a spiteful mood and wanted to wipe the grin off Bills face. He clearly remembered that in his contract should the need arise he was liable to have a private discussion with one of the lieutenants or the commander. It had something to do with his position but John had no idea what. It was a strange thing to read but John didn’t think much on it. 

“I need to go see one of the lieutenants”. John hadn’t moved a muscle from where he was leaning against the wall, keeping a stern face rather than try and throttle Bill. He may be angry but he would probably get his face handed back to him once bill knocked it off. 

Bill waited for the explanation to come, but John wasn’t feeling giving. “I’ll meet you back at the cells once I’m done” and walked off down a side corridor towards one of the closes lieutenant offices. 

He just needed to think how he was going to word this now. No need saying he felt something off Bill and all hell broke loose soon after. Well that would be just, strange. 

Getting to the desired door labelled ‘Lieutenant Jackson’ he knocked three times and waited for the deep voice inside to shout “ Come in”

Stepping in was like stepping into a battle plan, maps were all over the room, on the walls, side tables, cluttering the desk Jackson was sitting at and funny enough, looking over a map like it would reveal its answer to him. 

“Who is it and what do you want”. Jackson was a large man with muscles like the hulk and a shaved head. His voice vibrated in his chest and was deep, reminding john of an old uncle of his who smoked till the day he died. 

“It’s John Myers sir, may I request a moment to speak with you”.

“Myers?” and that head came up and recognised who he was looking at. “Ah yes Myers, come in, have a seat. Just looking over this map that one of my teams found in a old vault. Not much to look at but maps are my speciality” and did a quick flick of his eyes around the room. The look on his face was like they were his pride and joy.

Sitting down John glanced around, “Lieutenant, I’d like to discuss my new....partner if you would” 

Jackson nodded, “Yes Bill. He’s a good soldier, gets his job done. Is there a problem between you two?” 

John shrugged “ I’m not entirely sure, but it would seem so from Bill. He seems to think leaving his post at any indication of action is appropriate”. 

There was a moment’s pause as Jackson settle more into his seat, looking at John as if to suss something out. “Yes. Bill is known for some dumb acts. What’s he done this time...”

“Besides near leave me to get eaten by a vampire we’re guarding, he keeps leaving his post. I know that these are seemingly small points to mention but I know how tight the security need to be around here and leaving a guard with a head injury to guard two prisoners hardly seems logical. Is there something I should know about him. At this rate another prisoner will get out with just one guard present”. 

Jackson nodded sternly at the end, “Right. I’ll see to Bill, since it was similar actions like that, that put him in the position he’s in today. You know he was a field agent before right?”

John quickly shook his head as no, since he wasn’t supposed to know that. 

“well, his actions in the past have often left those working with him in a ‘difficult’ position. You will be reassigned a new partner and since your still suffering from your head injury I’ll write up some leave time for you”. 

John had been nodding along but the last part got his interest. “Leave time sir?!” why had he given leave so easily. Even injured it seemed....too easy. 

“Yes I am going to recommend medical take another look at you and then your to have two weeks recovery. Why you were put back into the field is a silly idea to me. I know the commander can be eager but we can’t well have dead and injured soldiers guarding the cells now can we”. Jackson was scribbling something down with intent, leaving John sitting gobsmacked. He had to fight to keep the shock off his face because that sense of wrongness was creeping up again. 

Jackson whipped the paper out to him. “Don’t worry about Bill, I’ll make sure he gets dealt with. Such sloppy and irresponsible behaviour is not tolerated especially from someone who’s had a 2nd chance. Take that to medical once you leave here and they’ll sort you”. 

Standing up John grabbed the paper, “thank you Lieutenant for your time”. Between that and exiting, John got 5 feet away from the door and just out of the camera’s sight down the corridor, before he leant back against the wall. 

He was feeling weird about this.


	13. Medical

Medical was located on the 2nd floor and took up the whole 2nd floor of the building. John went to the main desk, stating his business and was pulled along to a cubical where a nurse was with him in record time. 

“Hello Mr-“ a quick glance down at a chart “Myers, we’re going to be taking blood today. We’ll also be testing if your still having difficulty with your motor skills and if our still feeling nauseous, ok”. She chirped with a forced smile and John just gave a nod even though she was acting. 

They went through several tests where he had to walk in a straight line, answer questions on when he felt sick or dizzy, what he was doing at the time, so on and on. It lasted an hour before she decided to take his blood. Rolling a small swab onto the area she quickly drew 3 phials before shuffling off without a goodbye or ‘you can go now’. 

John stared after her in short disbelief before pulling his jacket on and grabbing his bag. He was going on medical leave after all and getting out of the prison almost felt like his lungs were holding against breathing till he was outside. He glanced at the papers she’d left and the blood phials. Nothing special. Just simply his name, medical history and background information. 

The blood phials drew his eye again and a small voice demanded he drop them into his bag and run. He could sort of suss out where this was coming from. Being strange and different wasn’t always looked good upon by most people and agents. It was one thing to be an agent and another to be someone with an ability. People think you assume you’re better than them and it was all down to human psychology in the end. What one person had another person wanted. Even if it was out of their grasp. 

What would his blood test show? That he was a healthy individual. There was nothing superhuman about him and his blood would hardly show anything. He didn’t know where his weirdness came from but could his blood really show any abnormal signs?. It was the nagging feeling that had him scoop up the phials and drop them into his bag, right at the bottom where no one would notice them. It hadn’t failed him ‘yet’ and so he’d go with the flow and hope this didn’t come back on him. 

Peeking his head out he spotted the nurse dealing with another patient, same fake smile on her face as she scribbled information down. The medical section was buzzing with activity. They wouldn’t miss the blood samples until he was well gone....hopefully. John considered maybe swapping them with something but that would only make him look more suspicious rather than the blood samples were lost in the mayhem of medical. 

He moved quickly through the gaps he could till he was back at the front door where he had first entered the prison. It still looked daunting. The soldier at the main desk gave him an eager nod and salute, walking him to the door that groaned loudly as it opened for him. He was in civilian clothing now and no one paid him any attention. No half glances anywhere to be seen. The patrolling soldiers didn’t even look his way as the desk soldier walked him right out to the front gate, gave a nod over his papers and wished him a nice time. 

John felt kind of pathetic that his chest warmed a bit at the soldiers genuine words. Being in the prison could harden a lot of people and John could feel it making him almost numb with the quick and stern lifestyle they employ to the guards. John felt like his face was made of clay as he forced his face to smile genuinely back at the man, thanking him and finally passing the gates and out to a black BMW waiting for him. 

The driver even opened the door for him. John covered his shock and thanked the driver and he shuffled awkwardly across the back seat, pushing his bag in before him. The driver set off before John could actually think where he would be going, so he didn’t question it and sat back, finally letting some peace rest over him. He felt the dread and coldness of the prison seeping out of him like it was being drained the further away he got. 

Maybe it was knowing his strangeness. 

He shut his eyes and hoped in parting thought that he was safe enough with the driver and he wasn’t going to be killed by any reckless driving. 

********************************************************************

Nuada glanced down at his sword, rubbing off the blood with the rags the human was wearing. It would not do to let the blade get rusty and brittle, he still had further use of it. Stepping over the last body he moved further into the facility that housed information he wanted. He had heard of the place through talks with the small kin elves, ones who were a mutated breed from the Dökkálfar, the dark elves who lived in the forests and caves. 

These small elves were very useful as they were around 2-3 feet tall and could pass as a human child in a coat if they wished. It was often how they smuggled an abundance of treasure from the humans They played fair with their own race, and didn’t do dealing with trolls. This Nuada liked, as it meant they would indeed be valuable to him and his kind when needed. 

They had taken to calling themselves the Alvíssmál ("The Sayings of All-Wise"), and Nuada felt his chest swell with pride at them for their eyes were like steel and their will was solid. True warriors who’s souls had not been broken for such small creatures. He would certainly hold then in high regards in the future. They were excellent Intel gatherers and told him all he needed to know about where he would find a human warehouse that held information on where his sword had been stashed away and where he would find some better weaponry that would do a larger scale of damage. But he would need that information first. He had certainly been pointed in the right direction. 

He gripped the door handle with satisfying force as the door ripped open and the pathetic lock bent to his will. Pulling it open his sneered at the room that he entered. It was filled with filling cabinets, no doubt full to the brim with supernatural information. He stepped in, surveying if there were any traps, removing the small devices and tapping his sword against the stone floor. The contact made a high pitched ping and the door pushed back open as 3 small elves slipped in. 

They would make quick work of the room and he would pick out what he needed from what the elves presented to him. He’d instructed them with this task of finding the information, but he had to act as the guard. He had not begrudged them their request, one more dead human from his blade was one more step to his future. 

“ljósálfar Nuada” one of the little elves was waving a piece of paper at him, looking up with big watery eyes that drew so many soft hearted in. Plucking it from its hands he glanced over the paper, smiling when he saw details for his sword labelling its location. 

The human must have done some extensive research on it as they had labelled its metal properties being goblin with Elvin ruins woven in. Interesting.

The elves were busy ripping the room apart and making it look like a paper massacre as they devoured all the information they would get their hands on. It was what they loved most, having this information. They were the all knowing and this was their comfort zone. It wouldn’t be long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "light-elves" (ljósálfar),  
> Alvíssmál ("The Sayings of All-Wise")  
> Álfheimr (meaning "elf-world"),  
> Dökkálfar, the dark elves


	14. Home sweet...what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the house might look like  
> http://www.tinyhouselover.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/small-house-in-the-woods.jpg
> 
> and kitchen...maybe  
> http://swinburnearchitect.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/M-kitchen.jpg

John glanced from the driver to the small house that was nestled against a comfortable back drop of tree’s that made up the beginning of a forest. He forced his mind away from idea’s of werewolves and glanced back at the driver for the explanation. He had not anticipated he would ever see mother nature so close up again, not unless he was sent into the field and that was looking iffy at the moment. 

The driver shrugged but at least looked slightly sorry for not having anything for him. John sighed as he scooped up his bag where he’d dropped it and went to the front door. The driver had handed him a silver key that fit solidly into his hand once they had begun their journey, stating he would need it to get in. 

The driver wished him well and drove off, leaving John hovering in front of the house and feeling like he was imposing. It really had been a while if the sight of so much green made his eyes wide and alert. 

He opened the door slowly, making sure to not jar anything on the other side that might blow his face off for security reasons, but no, no gun or alarm on the door. Simple and efficient as they come. 

He stepped into a kitchen he sometimes wonder would look like his grandmothers had she lived long enough for John to know her. He had brief moments where he was tiny and everything didn’t make sense, where a scent of perfume would catch him and the world grandmother would pop into his head. He’d been but a infant when she’d passed and John didn’t ache with reminders of her. The moments were so small and near nonexistent that John barely remembered. 

It was mid afternoon now, so he had 2 weeks starting from now so he was sure as hell going to get settle and look closely over the house. It wouldn’t do to not know where everything was should he need it at a later time. The kitchen was taken in on first glance, some of the cabinets filled with food, the fridge just enough that he knew he had enough for two weeks.

He trailed around, looking into the living room and small cupboards that held old items that belong to the house for some time. Overall it was a small house, but it fit for him to be there, not much room to wander, not enough to get lost or still feel unexplored. At the very least the woods behind the house would bring some interesting sights for him. Not too far off and the ground evenly sloped with no holes to topple in. 

He sighed and gave a nod of approval and shuffled upstairs to the bedroom. Simple designed so he dropped his bag and started pulling his work clothes off. He’d brought some spares and his pyjamas would suffice for now. 

He was so having an early night for the amount of sleep he’d lost out on with Hellboys antics and the new jobs ‘pressures’. The moment he was under the covered he felt safe, even though he was in an unfamiliar house and he knew near nothing of where he was. 

It just, felt right. 

He closed his eyes and felt a dark tug almost plummet him straight into sleep and he felt dread try to curl in his stomach, hoping for no dreams. 

*******************************************************************

A pressure was building, inside of him. Or was it around him.   
No.....it was on him, his chest. He fought with the darkness of his subconscious, rushing up to the waking world where he gasped hard for breath. No his chest wasn’t that compressed, but it still had some pressure on it. He blinked his eyes open rapidly, staring down his chest, idly pushing at the covers with his legs to get some fresh hair to his body. 

He didn’t get to move far to see a small...thing? sitting on his chest. It had big beady eyes and was sitting with its head resting on its hands, contemplating him. John panted and tried to remain still in case it went mental and produced razor sharp teeth, it had happened before. It was most definitely supernatural.

“Hi” 

John blinked down at the thing, still slightly hoping he was dreaming. “erm...Hi....what are you-“ and as he cut himself off, the creature dropped down off the bed and ran to his bag, pulling it out from where he’d kicked it under the bed and proceeded to rummage through it. 

“Hey! That my stuff what are you doing” he made to grab the bag and the creature stepped back as if avoiding a passerby. Still going through the bag. 

“Your John right? Of course you are. Your stuff here says you are” and tossed his credentials over its shoulder as if not bothered at all by his name or the logo of BPRD printed on them. 

John pulled his hand back, wavering from dropping it or using it to protect himself if the creature went wild. This was strange enough and he really wished he was dreaming because the creature verged on cute looking as it peered into his bag, dragging all the contents out and dropping them uninterestingly on the floor. It even did a Mary Poppins and stuck the bag over its head to look more into it. It looked almost like a child, wearing a loose top that hung down over itself, covering its body like a dress, except it hung off the creature as if only used to 'just' cover itself. 

“Yes, I’m John. What’s this about” he grimaced at himself for falling back on his old ways, he didn’t know why this creature was here, nor what it wanted, and it had finished with his bag and dropped it onto of the mess it had made. It even had soft features that seemed small compared to its huge curious eyes. A motion of its hand showed what it had found...his blood samples.


	15. Visitors

Slowing pulling himself up onto the edge of the bed and pushing the covers away, John catalogued the dangers of the situation. If the creature attacked, it was small so no doubt it would be fast, possibly supernaturally so. And in the supernatural world things with soft features were often deadly, acting innocent to then rip your throat out if provoked or tempted. 

He sat there looking at the thing till finally it waved the blood samples in its hand at him again, “see, I found them”. 

John’s face contorted into confusion, “were you just looking for them?” The thing nodded, happy he’d joined in on the conversation. 

“Yes yes, I wanted to look at these. These are interesting, these are human bloods, these are....” it was glaring in on the blood in the samples as it waved its arms about in a dramatic and crazed display of loose limbs. 

“these are....Are these human blood?”

A jolt shot through John at the implication that this thing might think him not human. Indeed he was strange, but he was human. His face heated with embarrassment and anger, “Yes” he snapped. 

“OK ok, no need to be snappy. Can I borrow one of these. I’m a gathered and I need lots of samples, got to have samples you see. You see don’t you, that Genji needs samples yes” and it wandered over to his knees, leaning up at him with those imploring eyes. 

“is Genji you name? ...-and No, I don’t see why you need samples” John did a double take on himself. It was the eyes that softened him up, but he needed to hold onto some outrage at this creature, no matter how disarmingly cute it looked. 

It did a large sigh as if having to explain this was tiresome. “Genji yes is my name, and yours is John, Myers. You work for the BPRD and I am a gather and need, samples” and gave the samples a shake with its hand as if in finality. 

John quirked his eyebrow at the thing, “and...what type of supernatural being are you might I ask”. The thing wavered, as if trying to suss out why this would be relevant to it. “I’m one of the many Alvíssmál,...erm, it is hard to describe. A descendent of the elves...?”

And John nodded absently at the absurdity of the situation made him close his eyes and lie back on the bed. The elf jumped up onto his chest, weighing next to nothing now, glaring down at him. “John...what are you doing”. 

“Trying to wake up, I must be dreaming. Or no, maybe I’m hallucinating and this is all fake, or maybe the duchess got me an-“ the elf tapped his cheek, poking him more like it. “see I’m real, now about the samples”. 

John huffed, pushing out a lung full of air. This could not be happening. 

*******************************************************************

Johnson glared at the nurse who buzzed around his bed, checking his sheets, his chart, all the wires in him and the machines, running around like she had something to do. He’d been in medical for two days, with a skull fracture and 3 broken ribs, and apparently, he was lucky. 

Not many people live to tell the story when a golem body slams you into the wall. 

One of the oh so lovely lieutenant’s had decided to pay him a visit when he woke up. The sight of a sneering higher officer was not what he wanted to see upon waking. 

“Lieutenant Jackson. To what do I owe...”

He left it open. It was not a pleasure or honour to ever see the man. He was always poking his nose into business that didn’t concern him or often getting others into trouble that went from a small oops to a mega shit storm. Jackson had that effect whenever he touched anything. 

If his three divorces were anything to go by.... 

Jackson smirked intensely at him and it was not a nice smile, more like, wait till you hear what I have to say. “John Myers has been placed into a temporary safe house to recover from his injuries, and I thought I might talk to the last man who had some insight into him. The commander told me you and John were dealing with the prisoner escape in Myers section....how did that go”. 

Johnson rolled his eyes slowly down, staring down at his legs as if to catalogue how ‘that’ happened. 

“We managed to get through the video feeds. John only took part half way through before he was told to get some bed rest. John left me to the work” he recited it with a bland tone but he knew some of his annoyance seeped into his speech. 

Jackson nodded and his head lifted a fraction. A hound with a scent.   
“I see, and you weren’t pleased, I can understand. Yes and soon after you had your accident with one of the prisoners, but the doctors say you’re on the way to recovery now your awake and back with us".

He didn’t mention the coma he’d been placed in a day for, how his brain couldn’t handle the damage and a chemically induced coma had been the option for him. But no need to tell the soldier recovering in the bed who just happened to ‘not’ look at his chart and read all this. 

“Yes...sir, you could say that. Is there something you wish to discuss specifically” 

Jackson nodded like again he’d gotten what he wanted to hear and leant forwards in his chair, “Yes, I want to talk about Myers. Awfully strange for a young man to be in the BPRD at his age, let along allowed to transfer here. It’s all strange about him, his file, his actions, what happened since he came here....wouldn’t you say, Johnson” 

Johnson stared at him in dawning confusion and apprehension. Jackson got scary smart detective like if he felt there was something he wasn’t being told. And Johnson being the commanders right hand man to talk to would probably know what the jig was. 

At the forefront of his mind was the word ‘fuck’ as Jackson sat leaned towards him in the plastic chairs they left out for guests. This wasn’t a royal fuck up waiting to happen.


	16. The blood of many

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sanguine Multis) Latin

He was now fully dressed in a suit that was loose from years of missed meals and dangerous life threatening missions. All in all he was faring well. He’d gone to bed with a head injury, woke with some form of an elf on top of him, had a lovely conversation where said elf that then stole blood samples off him and was now sitting in the living room staring at him in curiosity. Yes he was going to add this up to lack of sleep and head wound. That’s what this was.

“John, are you feeling sick” 

He stroked his hands down his jacket to smooth it out, giving himself the time to answer, “Yes of course I am. I’m sure your just part of my imagination and I’ll wake up from this nightmare shortly”.  
The elf nodded its head anyway, sure he was sick and staring at him as if it was waiting for him to laugh and joke around. John sighed and turned away towards the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. The old kitchen helped him gather his wits as there was no up to date appliances in the room. Perfect. He grabbed the pot, dropped in the coffee hoping it hadn’t been in the cupboard too long and waited for it to heat enough so he could drink it. 

He needed something to wake him up. Soon preferably.

“John, but the samples-“   
“I said No Genji. They’re my samples I don’t want anyone to have them” He vividly did not think about the nurse back at medical who would no doubt be scouring the floor and bed for his. Genji sighed hard far down below his hip, he hadn’t heard the elf move.  
“I ‘need’ them John. I need samples, it’s what I do”. Genji was looking up at him again and John fought not to let his heart melt at the eyes. It wasn’t fair that Genji was imploring him for something so small to most people, but he just couldn’t let the elf have them. He didn’t know what it would show. 

Supplied with coffee he was trailed back into the living room where he flopped down on a chair, comfortable enough to let the elf continue on its rant.   
“But the supplies aren’t complete. I asked nicely and you still say no. But Genji needs the samples! it’s almost complete, Genji is still missing some but soon Genji will have almost all of them. Please John. Genji is almost there!”. The elf was near frantic now and John needed this situation settled quickly before it really got out of hand. 

John shook his head as the elf went on and on. “Genji, what do you mean your near complete. You collect samples?”  
Genji nodded vigorously, “Yes, all the samples that are needed are stored away in case they are needed. Sometimes a disaster happens and us Alvíssmál are the ones that will give to the whole. We are the ones who stand for all John, everything. We are needed, we are the givers, the all wise” Genji got closer to his face in the rant and John was pressed back into his seat with a face of anticipation. This did not sound good, the more the elf talked, the more it sounded like some kind of prophecy, which happened more often than not when he was with BPRD.

“Why don’t you get some from someone else then....” John could feel something tugging at him, trying to spill out its secrets and he dreaded it would be some disaster waiting to happen.   
Genji’s head tilted as if the elf was confused. Grabbing hold of his knee the elf swung up swiftly and landed on silent feet on his stomach. Strangely John couldn’t feel any weight or impact from the elf’s landing, which was all adding to up to him having a conversation with a figment of his imagination. Genji glared intently into his face and he forced himself into a neutral stare back. He couldn’t give anything away and he had a feeling the stare was going deep and beyond a normal look. 

Genji sighed heavily “why don’t you want to give me your blood? Don’t you want to help save the world when the time comes....” John really hated it when seemingly innocent creatures turn around with a political spin. His mouth opened and closed, glaring at the elf in disbelief. Of course he’d want to help save the world, but he highly doubted his blood would help anyone, let alone be useful. 

“Genji, that’s not what this is about. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there who would be willing to give you free blood. Why have you came here, to me of all people. I’m even on medical leav-“ and there it hit his brain as if that creeping suspicion had been sitting waiting all this time. How better to get blood than a medical wing that dealt in it all the time. How even better to get it under the table than from unsuspecting men and women who had been charged with medical leave. If they sprouted they’d seen an elf and been robbed of some blood, who would believe them. They’ll be accused of needing the time off and have their background checked for mental issues. Everything would be looked into. 

Now John might have had the whole near dying thing with Hellboy and Liz and all, but he wasn’t a crazy nut job. Ok yes maybe insane for the amount of crap he followed hellboy into, but crazy-oh-my-god-i-can-see-a-rainbow-coming-out-of-your-head no he was not. What he did know was Genji had pulled back from leaning towards him, anticipating a talk. Ah, there was something in this.

“Genji....How did you know where to find me....”


	17. Need to know basis?

John would have settle for a lot of answers.

‘I stumbled onto you here in this closed off house out of the way?’ Hell it even backed into the trees like it was trying to hide from prying eyes. Genji’s eyes slid around his face, looking for something to go off. Clearly his thundering eyes did not bode well for the little elf. “I was sent of course” That was an answer that he really did not like. Ice crept up from his gut and he had to force his body not to try and levitate in the chair with suspense and dread.

Oh yes, of course the elf was sent. Weren’t they all. John sighed and rained in some of the anger, “By who”. Genji kept contemplating whether or not to answer and John didn’t like that one bit. It sung to close to his own strictness of not telling unneeded information to people who shouldn’t know. He could guess as to how this all added up, but maybe the elf would paint a brighter picture. 

“By a Man. He said he worked for the government. That they needed to help everyone. They needed blood samples....from all the species we could find. He said this job was very important, that only Genji had the skills to do it” The elf lifted its head towards the end, but its eyes told John it was doubtful of some of the details. 

“Did they tell you a name, who they were?” Genji was still hesitating and John didn’t at all feel bad when he dragged out an old skill he used when Hellboy went too far and annoyed supernatural’s. He was often left with the calming down part that hellboy gladly looked over. 

“I know this is important to you Genji. I know. What I do is important too. I work for the government as well and I know that when they ask you to do something, it’s always really important and I need to know so I can try and help”. The elf nodded vigorously at the end, “Yes, the BPRD, you work for them, I saw your credentials” 

John glanced away, not wanting his eyes to show the slight lie. Technically they didn’t work for the government but did the same job. They kept order and they made the world safe. Two sides of the same coin. One for the human world, and one for the supernatural. John couldn’t honestly say when he slipped over the sides...or what side he was on.

“Ok Mr Myers I’ll tell you. It should be ok” John sighed in thanks but caught onto the last words “ok to tell me? Did someone tell you not to talk to anyone about this”. The sneaking suspicion was back but John had a free pass for the info he needed. Anything else was bonus at this point. 

“Yes. He said don’t tell anyone what you’re doing because its top secret and no one can know. Not even the other elves. He said they would get jealous and try to take the samples, that anyone would be jealous of such an important job. He wanted Genji to collect samples from all the creatures so that when the disaster comes, the blood will be there for them” Genji paused probably for effect but John nodded the elf on, he needed to hear the rest.  
“Well, Genji has been collecting for about a year-“ John could guess why. Nuada had been taken down thankfully by Hellboy around a year ago, but the severity of Nuada’s actions reflected on the rest of the supernatural community. Whoever wanted their samples, it was not for something good. And whoever it was seemed to have been given permission to obtain it...quietly. This reeked of high government rank mission. Conspiracy theory was blaring in his mind. 

“So Genji got the blood from the ogres, the trolls, the dark elves, the sea spirits, the-“ 

“Wait- Genji. Elves? Was the man that specific or did he just say everyone” John could have clapped himself on the back for narrowing the field down more but the elf still had him pinned.  
“Yes. He was very specific. He said he wanted these ones specifically. They were the ones most in danger” John’s gut did a weird flip and he couldn’t blame it. He was feeling sick with how this was unravelling in front of him. “He told Genji where to go and how to find these people who would be able to help. Once they were all collected, Genji would drop them off at a building and his other men would collect them. Genji would get gifts for this service and be thanked and recognised for Genji’s skills” 

John could see the elf looking worriedly at him as it finished. He felt sick and was pale with the meaning of it all. “Genji, where were you meant to drop these off? Have you given him any yet!” the urgency in his voice made the elf speak faster thank god. 

Genji shook its head, “No John, Genji was going to drop it off as one. Genji did get a gift though, to show he meant his words. It was very nice. All shiny” the elf pulled a round golden like ball out of...John didn’t know. The clothes it was wearing seemed to have no pockets and there was no backpack or anything to hold a round ball. 

Looking closer he was not pleased. He recognised it.


	18. Puzzle pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll quickly be throwing A LOT of the plot and my ideas for this fic into the next few chapters. WOO finally.

The ball was perfectly round and fit into the palm of his hand while also resembling the size of a golf ball. It was made of gold and had intricate lines overlaying the outer case. ‘If’ you knew how to open it, apparently it whispered words to you. The meaning of the words was unknown as no one had opened it when they had located the treasure when unearthing a small goblin ring. They’d been robbing auction houses of their good and nothing could seem to keep them out. Luckily they’d set a trap and the goblins had been greedy enough to try for more even with the danger of robbing the same city twice. They’d worked like the police would, offered deals here and there so they could located the rest of the items. The small golden ball Genji was presenting to him was among the many items that had been stored in the BPRD vault deep within the facility. John knew because he’d been given the daunting task of checking them all out and filling them in after losing hellboy ‘again’. It had taken hours and John had been too busy sorting it out to realize hellboy had returned to base on his own while John was still being punished. 

The point was, it was now here. Genji was presenting it proudly in front of john’s face and all he could do was let his mouth hang in disbelief. How?-wait. His mind often did something he could never explain. He acted stupid so his brain would sigh, grab all the pieces of the puzzle, and ‘very slowly’ start pushing them into the right pattern. Puzzle pieces formed and showed edges that gave the impression of fitting together. 

He flashed back to the control room with Johnson, back at his ‘new’ job, where he’d seen the BPRD facility shown on the cameras, circulating agents going about their work. How Johnson has said they watched everything and everywhere. So they would have seen all the items going into the vault, and would have known who was watching and how to slip through the cracks. But John had been the one to-  
His brain screamed set up and blared it in front of his minds eyes, propelling John out the chair. 

His brain picked up on hyper speed, running through it to his currently predicament. If they’d sent an elf to get his blood they wanted it for a reason. Not the good kind. An elf who also had an item John had personally put in the vault. Jackson had also sent him on leave and could possibly be the man informing the elf on where to go. 

Could be and the problem was being sure. 

But the elf knew where to go, so someone had told it. Sending an agent on medical leave was a big thing. Not many people were told the location for health reasons and to get away from the supernatural life for a short time meant not allow co-workers to interact with them in case of a relapse.   
So it highly could be Jackson. Or one of the other lieutenants. But it kept swivelling back round to Jackson. He seemed like too much of a key player. He was the planner, the map man who made the plans. ‘If’ it was Jackson, he could have easily walked into the BPRD and gained access to the vault with no raised eye brows. He worked for the prison so he could request it as evidence and replace it with a false one. He could come and go and not many people would ask around for him. Being a lieutenants in the prison meant you had 3-4 other lieutenants there in case one of them needed to step out. 

“....Genji” His voice sounded distant and he felt hot. Sweat was just starting to bloom on him and he couldn’t seem to gather his mind back to himself to do anything about it. “Did he tell you what to do after this?” Genji nodded, very weary now that his mood had shifted. John couldn’t blame the little elf, there weren’t fighters from the little he knew, and his constant mood swings will be unnerving to a creature the attempts to know all. 

“Yes. Genji was to get the light elf sample next, at a storage facility” Genji pulled something out from thin air, a map it seemed. “Here”. And pointed directly over a BPRD storage facility that housed weapons. 

John could bet on what he thought was there.

Nuada’s cell had been leaking water, he remembered he’d heard the dripping. Previous damage would mean the cell was already unsuitable and he could escape. Being locked down in ‘that’ part of the facility meant you were dangerous and so you were watched ‘all’ the time. No chance of getting in unnoticed when you were trained to watch for suspicious behaviour. From everyone. Being near supernatural’s who could lure you into being helpful made it so.   
Letting him out would enforce the need to do this secret mission, whatever it meant for the supernatural community. John was rather sure no one but Abe knew about him so why the need for human blood...? Maybe stage a scene of violence? 

The escape would mean Nuada would try to attack them, but he needed his weapon, or whatever he could get his hands on. Obviously because he was a prince, he would want strong but honourable weapons to portray his status. His spear was the perfect weapon for him. And he’d want it back. His pride would not let such a weapon go into human hands. John would bet his career on the spear being at that facility, and Nuada soon to be. 

Genji squealed as John bolted out of the room, racing for his bag up the stairs. He needed to get out. They knew where he was and he needed to get a head of whatever this was. Sadly he wouldn’t be able to contact anyone, but Genji was still clinging to his back for dear life, the elf could do that. If he convinced the scared elf he wasn’t mad and yes this was very bad. This couldn’t be allowed officially. They couldn’t afford someone finding out they were going to do something bad to the supernatural’s. 

They were the governors of the supernatural world, the ones who did justice not injustice. 

“John! Stop, slow down. John!” the elf would no doubt be beating at his back if not for holding on, creasing his jacket. But John couldn’t slow down. All the pieces were slotting into place in his head and he couldn’t stop, he had to move. His head didn’t hurt anymore, everything seemed clear and focused with a path laid out for him.   
Genji dropped safely to the bed as he grabbed up his bag, throwing all his spilled clothes and items back in madly. He saw his samples sitting ideally and tossed them as deep as they would go, stuffing an old shirt around them to keep them secure. 

“Genji I really need a favour off you. Is there any way you can contact someone for me. Someone in the government I work at” Genji nodded rapidly, hands clasped tight in front of it as if praying John would at least slow down.   
“Genji can do that. Genji is good at talking” John spared a huff at how right the elf was. He dropped his bag next to the elf and tried to smooth the sides of his jacket down, preparing himself for the next question. 

“Its needs to be quiet- you can’t be seen by any camera’s or they’ll find you otherwise”-and probably throw you in a hole or kill you. John couldn’t believe he was going to tell an elf, a supernatural being! how to get into the BPRD. At this rate he could frame himself rather well.  
Genji’s victorious nod came with a tilted back chin. The elf did a grand turn and twirl and-blinked out of view. John gaped at the missed elf, seeing the foot prints still in his bed. Well, how often did they hang around with no one seeing them he wondered. They no doubt did it all the time when gathering information quietly. 

“See John” the disembodied voice said. “Genji can do it. 

John smirked, huffing down at his feet rather than trying to talk to thin air. This might work, but it was a wobbly plan and the elf really needed to be on his side or he would get speared and painted as a traitor. But, he’d gotten this job off professor Broom, who strived to give hellboy a kind and straight upbringing. And he’d made a somewhat kind man out of a demon destined to destroy the world. Broom had shown kindness to a dark supernatural, and given it light. That wasn’t going down the drain, not when John could fight against it. 

“Ok. This is what we need to do” 

Even though John couldn’t see the elf, the room felt warmer, like the elf was grinning. He didn’t blame it, he probably looked like a mad man...with a plan. 

 

(i'm getting into the mood to write this. Hope your all enjoying it and i'm rather happy with all the kudo's. thanks for commenting as well i love reading them)


	19. Plan of action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> http://cache2.artprintimages.com/lrg/21/2144/R7BCD00Z.jpg
> 
> What the lovely cat saviour might look like

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for the lovely comments and kudos. 
> 
> This was such a small idea thats just took over my brain. 
> 
> and also 
> 
> -About Genji- yes I did indeed have dobby in mind when thinking on the look and personality of the little elf. Dobby was awesome and I wanted to hurt someone when he passed on. BUT ALSA I have resurrected him in a new body. –evil laugh

Abe slotted his book back on the shelf with a sigh. Since John had left everything seemed different, and not in a good way. The air was stiff and hung too heavy, leaving every room feeling more empty than it should. Hellboy was resorting to stalked off after Liz all the time rather than stay in his room like he used to. John may have gotten teased by hellboy, but he was a part of the bigger machine that only worked right when all the pieces were together. Take one away and the strain landed on the other pieces. Everyone felt the missing piece. 

Liz snapped more at red now that John wasn’t there to pull them apart, take hellboy off to his room to sulk and play with the cats. Hellboy would glare down at John for petting the ginger tabby, it was John favourite since the first day hellboy had tried to chase him and tripped over it. The cat had then swaggered over to John and did an elegant loop over books and shelves to Johns shoulder and licked his right ear. Johns blush had given hellboy the ammo of taking the sting off his fall for a few days.   
The tabby had always greeted John when he went to hellboy’s room. Now, it lay on the books stacked against the farthest wall, head raising when someone walked in. With no John its head would return back to its perch, tail randomly swishing.  
Poor thing

Abe turned back to his book’s he had been putting back after getting through his recent selections. It was another small thing John did for him that no one ever asked of him. When he’d finished reading, John would walk in with a smile, smirking at the sheer amount of books Abe would devour. He’d pick as many as he could up, never failing to drop one as he pilled too many and wandering over to the book shelf to return them. He’d drop them on the table, look back with a slight awed grin at Abe and then go through some of the titled books with him, picking out new ones. Talking with him rather than leave him alone to his books and thoughts like the other agents. His appearance was off-putting enough, and Johns silent acceptance was like ointment on a wound. 

Abe shook his head, grabbing up two more books and slotting them into place. John was gone, for now. But everyone seemed to come back to the BPRD eventually. Hopefully John would come back soon, or visit even. Abe shook his head fondly and managed to get all the books back, and then he had to deal with a new task. Standing back he glare up the shelf at the other titles. This part he hated doing on his own, John always picked the best ones. 

He’d step back and crane his neck, laughing up at the books and say “Gee Abe, I wonder if your brain looks like this” and the first time he’d said it, he’d tumbled over himself in apologies, oblivions to Abe’s laughing. Abe berated himself again for reflecting, maybe it was time for his call with John. Too many memories and strange anxious dreams. 

“Hello Mr Abe” 

Abe turned at the summoning-to an empty room. The doors remained closed and nothing presented itself. His fingers twitched in front of him, reaching out with his senses and touching lighting on ...something. “Hello?”   
The table thumped and a small creature appeared, standing where his books once were. “Hello”. 

Abe blinked rapidly at the thing “Oh dear...your an-“ “An elf, yes. Genji is a Alvíssmál see. John said you were the smart and blue one and would know Genji’s kind” Abe tried not to grimace at the elf, surely John would have been kinder in explaining Abe’s appearance. 

“Excuse me- John, you’ve met John...is he alright”   
Genji nodded eagerly “Yes Genji was told by John but this room is only silent for a few more minutes while the human guards try to sort the bright wires Genji changed around” Abe smirked and pushed it away. It wouldn’t do for him to be approving the elf’s behaviour. Manning was sure to be in uproar soon over his system being compromised. 

“John asked a big task of Genji, said it was veerryyy important. To tell Abe Sapien the problem, the danger that is happening now. Big danger is coming, and its hurting the supernatural comm.- commute- John said a big word. But he said to tell you” 

The little elf spoke on the matter, relaying words John had painfully made Genji repeat back to him and ensure it was remember. The small elf finished with its speech, silent and staring at Abe with its big eyes as if imploring him for what to do next. Eager for a task. 

“Oh dear. Well then....you had best...come with me and see Hellboy and Liz” 

Abe trailed across the room and reached the door before he remembered something. “Oh and...erm, you need to be out of sight for this part”. Genji gave a cheeky smirk and clicked its fingers, vanishing completely before Abe’s eyes. Good, that made sure he was covered to an extent.   
Abe pulled the handed open on the door just as a siren started up in the corridor. He paid no mind to the rushing agents and pushed on to reds room, only slightly unnerved by the light pressure on the back of his legs. 

******************************************************************  
John was going to die. He knew it. 

He loaded his gun and crept across the tarmac of the building up to the heavily locked door, or previously heavily locked door. The hinges and frame looked like butter, all wavy and deformed and easily hanging to the side to allow free passage into the building to whoever. John tried not to feel bad as he passed unconscious agents and crept in through the opening. He didn’t want to think about the ones who weren’t unconscious, who were lying 5 feet away in a puddle of their blood and not moving. It would just remind him how dead he was going to be.

No plan had sprung to mind as he’d raced to the weapons facility, and seeing so many agents down and injured had left his mind a black hole of worry and fear. Going in blind was all he could do, as doing nothing wasn’t Johns theme, so he pushed on. 

Pulling on random doors that were locked proved that Nuada knew where he was going. John kind of hated himself for praying it was Nuada. Any other supernatural’s and John would be even more out matched and thrown off his game.   
Every door he pulled on that was locked sent his heart into his throat. That moment when he pulled his gut would twist, waiting for it to be the right door and still not being. He got 3 levels in before he started to see more chaos. 

The array of corridors lead him into a large open area that was full of shipment boxes and containers, all no doubt waiting to be glimpsed and either sent to a vault or used. John tried not to swallow his tongue when he heard an almost silent scraping noise. 

Sliding in along a box, he crept along on silent feet, praying Nuada was preoccupied with his search enough to not hear him. Please god don’t let him hear him. 

Each step closer made John have to slowly and quietly wipe his hands on his jacket to get rid of the sweat and try to contain his heart from beating out his chest. He needed to do something. What, he had no idea. Maybe warn Nuada? try to chase him off and away from the weapons deposit and hopefully try to get some Intel on whoever was making the grand plan. 

He was 4 boxes away before he had to stop himself. Going further would give him away and John knew Nuada was an elf, who’s ear’s were on the top of the list for excellent hearing. 

Right, he’d have to try and chase him off. And hopefully not get killed in the process.   
A quick glance round didn’t do him any good. He’d sneak just a tab bit closer and then he’d....shoot a warning shot?.

He only needed to step out to the side and keep to the box to know his error. Over one specific container, the lid had been pried off, but the small feet swishing widely as their owner rummaged around in the container told John all he needed to know. 

That wasn’t Nuada. 

If John ever had the chance to look back at this moment, he would mark it as a classic horror movie moment where ice seemed to ripple up out the floor and through them when they unconsciously sensed something above them. He could feel accomplished that he didn’t gasp and go into a state of panic, no his training had prepared him for being countered. 

No rush of fear or panic when he knew he was being stared down on by a dangerous predator...just a slow acceptance that he’d been beat and death would come.  
Stepping silently back he glanced up to meet his fate, feeling hollow. Or maybe his system overloading was just too much. Who knows. 

But again John was startled again to see another small head peaking over the top of the crates above him, shyly looking down and inspecting him. 

That wasn’t Nuada either. 

That was though, who stepped in close from his hidden corner and slammed the handle end of his spear into his face. At least it wasn’t the sharp end, but the blunt end hurt probably just as much. Kind of like a giant metal bat to the face. He didn’t feel at all like a rookie for crumbling backwards to a crate under the force of the blow.


	20. To judge and be judged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG SO SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG. 
> 
> i will be adding more shortly so i do apologies. Wasnt feeling the urge to write so now i am and i will be writing more.

Slowly John started to get feeling back into his body. His fingertips buzzed and tingled as if from pins and needles but was nothing compared to the pain in his face. The quote, hammer to the face seemed to fit but John distinctly remembered the butt of Nuada’s spear, so clearly the warrior must have been successful in his treasure hunt. 

Taking his time he slowly started pulling on muscles to awaken them. First hands, then feet, legs and so on till he could recognise his body again. He felt almost numb from the cold and his back felt nonexistent. Ice cold floors would do that. Dragging himself up into a sitting position, he gritted his teeth against the nausea and pain. Oh right, head injury. 

He didn’t find it funny that he’d gotten another headshot from the same elf in about the span of a week. 

Sitting up he just missed knocking said head again on the top of his...cage?! What the hell. John tried not to imagine how cliché his response to this was. Jumping forward and gripping the bars in front of him to solidify the fact to himself. A cage it was indeed. 

How was this Johns life?

It was just high enough for John to sit up, but standing was no option. It was roughly wide enough that he could shuffle a few feet around his new confinement without feeling like he was sitting in the same position. The cage looked gritty and wet, the bars ice cold to touch and slightly peeling. Nothing too fancy for a low life human then, oh joy. 

His new jailer sat on a crate not too far away from him, skimming a book and quickly flicking the page, looking for something. John wasn’t sure if he should call out or wait for the prince to leave before trying to escape.

“Finally the vermin awakens. Tell me human” the prince stood and dropped the book onto the crate, forgotten and ringing out with an echo. He was advancing slowly to the cage and John had only a few inches to slide back. “-do you know how long I was imprisoned by your kind?”

John remained silent, he could see the danger behind the question and the angry creases at the edges of the princes eyes. John had made it a bullet point in his life when dealing with supernatural’s to look for their tells. When they showed it, then it was ‘get ready to get the hell out the way’. He would never be a match when in a fight against a supernatural enemy, all he had was a good shot and fast legs. But oh well, both had saved his life countless times over. Neither were his options now. 

Nuada didn’t like his silence and he grew more tense as he took a slow stroll around the room. It was more like an open room with lots and lots of corridors leading in and out of it, each leading off into darkness. If he did get out, John would be screwed for which direction to go as well as having no light. He’d stumble around and be an even easier kill for whatever else kept the underground company. Thankfully there were no ominous noises reverberating down any of the corridors, so nothing was too hungry at the moment. 

“For almost a year, I was forced to sit in one of your cells, be prodded like a new gift given to excited children....and for what” now, the prince lowered himself to the edge of the cage. Even though John was behind the bars and relatively safe, he didn’t feel it. The anger emitting from the prince held john in place, pressed back against the bars farthest from the prince. His face was held like stone and only the small tension to his posture enough to let John know this was turning deadly fast. 

“ For your kind to hold a prince from his kingdom and people. Who took action to save his own people from your threat and corruption” the voice was a whisper and the eyes were drawn tight, glaring in as if to physically harm John. “Your kind don’t deserve to live for all your pollution and death your touch brings. But it would seem fitting that one who guarded my cell should now inhabit his own” 

This brought a smile to his face, and it was not a nice one. 

***********************************************************************  
Hellboys tail had already taken out one stack of books in his pacing, leaving the new occupant to scurry forwards and rebuild the pile. He glanced down at the little elf as it collected the books, reading their titles and with a happy nod, place them back in order. 

“So where is Myers now?!” 

Genji shrugged, “No idea, John was meant to go to the big building and see if Nuada showed up. He didn’t say what would happen after” Genji was looking right at home in the new clothes Liz had sprung out of nowhere. Meeting Liz seemed like the happiest moment in Genji’s life in his opinions, as Liz had looked so relieved like a mother over the elf’s new attire. The two had become inseparable suddenly upon seeing each other. Perhaps it was the motherly instinct and protectiveness Liz had for smaller and venerable creatures. It’s what had hellboy chasing John off often enough. 

Hellboy puffed angrily. Trust the boy scout to go and get himself killed or captured. 

Abe was devouring information, but this time, with a computer. It looked so out of place he expected Abe to suddenly dress up in an agents uniform and start writing up reports. Just another reminder of John though. 

He’d been looking back though footage, getting evidence and Intel or something like that. All hellboy had heard was Nuada, john missing and his brain was now into meltdown and his body thrumming with energy for a fight. He wished there was somewhere to go and get this thing moving along. Waiting was never his thing. 

The little elf was a surprise though. None of them knew just how good Myers was when it came to interacting with supernatural’s, and the little elf was surprising with its newfound love for John. Genji had fluttered when mentioning John in danger, refused hellboy’s anger in place of forcing a plan to be made. The little elf just wouldn’t give up. 

He could get behind that. 

Abe lifted a finger over his shoulder to still the rooms occupants, “I do believe I may have found something”. He slightly regretted speaking up without making room, as he was quickly squashed in towards the computer as everyone crowded in to look.

Video feeds had been captured, and also deleted, but that’s what backups were for. When videos were deleted they were automatically stored in one of the facilities, housing the information until the data was cleared out at a later date. Abe had managed to gather enough feeds to piece together a picture with holes in a few places, but Genji had kindly added some details along the way. 

“This is a video log on June, 18 of this year showing a ‘Lieutenant Jackson’ retrieving evidence on the rapid amount of goblin thefts-“ 

Hellboy nodded, “Oh yer, the little guys. They were on a roll for a while-“ 

“Yes Red but it would seem that Lieutenant Jackson had gone into the vault to continue looking at the evidence. Of course he is within his rights to do this if it comes to attention that the goblins sentences are too short or not fit for their crimes. But he does this on several video logs, coming and going, always returning the item. However, one case report shows the goblins dealing in fakes and forgeries when brought to trial at a later date, resulting in many of the goblins getting ‘very’ short sentences”.

And that was the sticky part. Goblins were old, and they liked shiny things. Golden things, valuable things. They didn’t fall for fakes and forges. They didn’t haul scrap when they had the gift of jewellers eyes.

Liz shook her head, leaning in towards the screen, “I don’t get it. They don’t do fakes. They don’t take things that aren’t valuable, why would they have it”. 

Their answer came from the little elf, who had returned back to the table and was again stacking books. “ They don’t. The goblin kin have no need for things that they cannot call wealthy. They need wealth. It shows their status to their kin and others. The other kin know what wealth means and so the goblins collect it”. 

Slowly the elf lowered a book flat, very graceful and gentle as if to not hurt the cover. “But John said Lieutenant Jackson, this man is strange. He met him see, and he said, ‘ He’s the man with a plan’. You see?”

And sadly, they did.


	21. The puppeteer and the prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR MAKING YOU WAIT. I DIDNT REALLY KNOW HOW I WANTED TO MOVE THIS ALONG TO THE PART I NEEDED IT AT SO I'VE MADE IT LONGER FOR YOU GUYS. 
> 
> THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT. 
> 
> also important
> 
> / this symbol means recap of story key points

Lieutenant Jackson was very happy. Everything was finally coming to a head. 

He only wished he could gloat. Show off his impressive skills and get a rank increase from the higher ups. It was all perfect. The little elf was late and behind schedule but that didn’t matter, that part of the plan could be side tracked for now till they could get hold of the elf again. 

He forced back his sneer and continued on down the long corridor, leading on to the holding cells. Sadly Bill, Myers old partner had been demoted ‘again’. But maybe some new incentive could fix that. He plastered on a fake smile and motioned to bill who was now on guard duty. The man did not look happy. He had been giving a compact assault rifle, and he held it to his gut, glaring into the opposite wall and fingering the trigger.

This made Jackson smile. 

“Bill...come with me a moment would you. Alex, guard this cell while we are gone”. The soldiers snapped to it while they moved on to more....important matters. He managed to not break into a grin and entered the privacy of his office. Gently shuffled a few maps off a chair and his desk he perched himself down, motioning for Bill to take the new seat. Bills response was very un-soldier like, dropping himself like a dead weight into the seat, gun still held tight. For someone on such a tight hair trigger, Jackson only smiled at the seething man.  
“So then Bill, I hear you lost your position. Again, due to misconduct and leaving an injured guard-“ Bills face turned red, in rage and possibly embarrassment. “ I saved that boys life. If it wasn’t for me he-“ Jackson held up a hand, shutting bill up. 

“Yes, I know what he would have been. But let’s leave that matter behind us shall we. I feel that you still have potential, and that here, in this place...it’s not being used very well. So, would you like for your talents to be put to, ‘better’ use, Bill”. Bill fell into silence, looking puzzled back at Jackson, but seeing the serious look in the lieutenants eyes, a smile slowly crept up on his face. 

This was a man he could get behind.

***************************************************************************************************************  
John ignored the shivering that was trying to rid him of his skin and bones. It was so cold and he could feel a slight tingle in his lips, slowing fading and he knew that was not good. Nuada had gotten bored with Johns silence and left down a direct passage from the cell, walking headlong into the darkness without a care. 

John counted the hours by the sluggish turns of his watch. Time was slipping away from him and it would soon seem he would freeze or get hypothermia before Nuada came back to kill him. Black spots often jumped into the side of his vision and he fought them away as much as he fought his pounding heart to settle and heat to come back to his hands. 

He was alone and the cage was set in the centre of the room, almost like a offering. John had made himself ignore that thought, since it would only allow his brain to become more creative in ways he might die or what may soon come for him. 

Pulling at the bars did nothing. They were solid. His cage was solid and so far there was no way out. There was nothing within arm’s reach of the bars to pull on or use, nothing there to aid him. Nuada may have left him to his own devices, but he was clever enough to leave nothing available to him.

He’d had to huddle in on himself to try and conserve his body heat, which helped a little. The cold held some benefit though. He was focused and what he felt was his old sixth sense kicking in. John had never been so thankful for it with his current setting. 

He could almost feel something in the darkness, something that was a natural inhabitant of the underground. It had been pushed back merely by the princes presence, weary of his deadly aura and hung back to the shadows edges. 

He’d spent nearly his whole life around supernatural’s. He’d never noticed when he could tell one from a normal human being, but they felt different. Almost more. Pushing against the frail image of a human most take on, and it showed. Strained eyes and quick tempers were always key features to a supernatural ready to take a swing.

Hellboy had made him rather aquatinted with that ideology.

He needed to think clearly and for a way out. The little puppet master behind this grand plan would be moving and getting plans into place. The phrase ‘man with a plan’ bobbed at the front of his mind before sliding away back to the darkness. 

He didn’t understand the reason for this plan. The world didn’t just contain humans. It held life in every crack, every shadow and ray of light and was bursting at the seams with it. Why would someone try to take away supernatural’s. They had their way of life just like humanity and everything else. Although thinking killing off a species brought everything back around to Nuada. He was also a single minded thinker on kill all humans. 

The puppeteer and the prince walked the same path in that sense. 

He didn’t have much in way of what might take place, but he sure as hell hadn’t survived all his years as Hellboys  
Something clashed against the metal bars, sending his heart right into his throat. He peeled slow responding eyes open to see the pointed end of a spear jutting an inch into the cage. He’d had the impulse to retract himself more but he was flat against the bars as it was. 

Trailing his eyes along the runes imbedded within the metal spear head, he follow the sleek dark handle up to the prince himself. The sneer on his face was enough to say about what mood he was in. John wasn’t feeling to great himself. So he had a time to consult his brain on how close he’d come to suicide by mouthing. Perhaps it would be better than whatever the prince had planned. 

“Why are you doing this Nuada?”

The prince huffed and fanned a waif of hair in his annoyance, backtracking to the crate to glare at john in leisure. A prince in his small comforts. A good trait to know. He clearly mustn’t have liked his time in confinement. 

“You humans seem to not find joy in the small wonders of life like irony. It would seem befitting that the jailer should now become the jailed. You have no purpose human. One of the many forgotten ones of your many numbers that inhabit the planet. You will not be missed”. Nuada casually twisted the spear to lie comfortably across his knees, and appearing like he had all the time in the world. Perhaps he did. John didn’t know if there would be anyone coming for him as it was more likely no one knew how to find him. 

He still had a small chance. 

He huffed and tilted his face away from the prince, no doubt ignoring the razor sharp stare the prince was boring into him for such an ignorant act. Pride was a royal trait. One that didn’t need much prodding to explode with violence. John had been looking after a royal pain in his backside for the short time he had with the BPRD and hellboy still had yet to lose some of pride from the amount of dressing downs Liz gave him. In very public areas of the base. 

“No prince Nuada, I have people who will miss me” 

Hellboy, Liz and Abe all flashed in his mind’s eye. He knew no matter how far away he’d placed himself from them, they would stay his friends. Plus being locked in a cell underground and freezing made him grasp their unblinking acceptance of him when John got into the swing of working with them.

“I’m sure they’re looking for me right now....and you” 

Nuada laughed softly at him, patronizingly leaning back and crossing his feet at his ankles to show how uncaring he was on the matter.  
“Well, perhaps they shall find one of the lost lamb, before or after the wolves have feasted”  
The silence behind the statement reminded John of the faded noises echoing to him from within the underground. What else was down there with them?

Nuada seemed smug with Johns silence, a cool smile on his face and eyes off to the side as if contemplating his death. John narrowed his eyes at the prince.... perhaps it was time for some prodding. Pride would change the battle field.

“I just don’t understand?” John managed to add just a hint of blandness and boredom to his words, laying back in the cage and forcing himself to relax. Thank you very much interrogation training. 

Nuada didn’t move at all. The statement seemed to pass right over him. But John could see the expression in Nuada’s eyes change, knowing the prince was building up for an insult he couldn’t not give when so openly invited. “None of your kind ever do”

And there was Johns opening to hopefully not a world of pain but certainly something he wasn’t going to find enjoyable. The prince needed to be knocked off centre for a short time. A little wobble of his perch over everything and one would help John in the long run on dealing with him. 

“Yes... Of course. I’m just wondering why for such ignorant and stupid humans who locked you up, you’ve.....decided to do the same thing?”  
He made sure he was well away from the bars. Sure enough the force of Nuada’s kick bent them in, decreasing his room another foot. He hadn’t even seen the prince move. 

To say the prince was angry would only describe the shape of his face. His eyes were ablaze with his fury. John only knew the prince wasn’t shaking with it due to his control over his body. 

“You humans are beneath me! Your foul ways and words mean nothing to me. I am prince and soon to be ruler of the Elvin court and we are nothing alike” the prince’s lip did an impressive curve over his words, showing his disgust. He didn’t have to raise his voice much to make his words ring loud and echo. 

John’s head felt weird, like he was struggling to stop it floating off his shoulders. Something was happening here, a repeat of something. Only this time it felt like the roles were reversed and Nuada was playing on the opposite side of the board he’d started on. 

/‘Manning’s eyebrows deepened into an angry frown as he stepped closer to the bars, lucky for him that the power had been cut off. He poked with his fingers just inches from the metal, punctuating his words. “Now you listen to me. I am the head authority around here. I will be spoken to with respect, and we are having a peaceful discussion and it will remain that way”/ 

John blinked and forced himself to look at the prince. He was in such a rage he didn’t seem to sense anything. Good. John really didn’t need that added to his short list of troubles. 

He was shocked how clear and unshaken his words were when he spoke on the end of the princes words. “You’re condemning humankind for their ways yet you now repeat them in the exact same manner. You’re repeating the pattern and trapping yourself and kind in it. You can’t expect to wipe out a race and there be no repercussion”. 

Nuada’s huff signalled what he thought of John and mankind. 

“I am merely ensuring the survival of my race. Your kinds method of entrapment is adequate in showing you how futile and weak your actions and place in this world is. You destroy everything you touch. This perfect world and it has fallen into ruin while you tread over its ashes to try and escape your own death sentence. Perhaps when mankind is gone, peace will come to the land and the world will recover from your black touch”. 

/Nuada’s huffed breath fanned his hair out of his face for a moment as he looked on the human in slight reserved smugness. “Peaceful. I see nothing peaceful about this human. Your claims of peace are empty as I sit behind your pathetic bars and you lecture and demand me of peace. You deserve no respect as you have not earned it. If you wish to give me something, give me my blade... so I may run you through with it” /

“No your wrong. The amount of times the BPRD has had to step in between clans from destroying their home land through war and bloodlust. We strive to preserve as much life as possible. All kinds of life. It’s our job and we all do it to the best of our ability-“

“Ability! Your kind wouldn’t know skills if the higher born taught you themselves”. 

Somehow a deadly silence fell, and Nuada had caused it. And it felt wrong.

The air weighed heavy as John felt his mood darken. Such arrogance was unheard of. Not even Hellboy in his worst moments would do or say such things. Would never count one life above another. A prince Nuada was and it seemed from the old elf kings actions, a prince he would forever be. No king would go looking for war. No king would 

John had had enough and perhaps it was time for a hard jab than prodding. 

He sighed a lent his head back to easier stare Nuada in the face. The ache of the cold slipped to the background. His headache blurring away into numbness and when he spoke, it was numbing. 

“....Peace.....I see nothing of peace here. While I sit behind your bars....you lecture me of peace” 

He’d cut bits out but it fit, like an old hat. He saw the moment of Nuada’s flinch. The rage shooting through every inch of the prince and him not knowing what to do with it when faced with his own words. 

John didn’t know who was more surprised when Nuada swung around, snapping up his spear and shattering the container in a small fit of rage. John was waiting for the spear to come sailing at him next, but Nuada disappeared down one of the corridors and was gone.  
The room went still in anticipation, but nothing happened. 

Sighing John tried to reach for the cold and the sensation of tingling fingers. To feel something, but he was stuck. He rolled his head around as if it was the only part of his body that moved, watching as a small orb rolled to the edge of his cage and clinked against the metal. It was transparent and seemed to be made of glass, with no other markings or outline of shape. It could perhaps have been mistaken for a bubble if not for its solid connection with the cage. 

John didn’t like it. It felt like it was another cage waiting to happen.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SORRY I KNOW I'VE LEFT THIS FOR SO LONG. I'LL ADD ANOTHER CHAP IN A FEW DAYS (NO PROMISE BUT I WILL BE WRITING ONE)

Chapter 22- Lost treasure

Abe flicked his fingers together nervously as he surveyed the team. After they’d considered a plan of action, they were all now kitted out in battle gear. “I really don’t think this will work. Maybe we should talk to manning and see-“.

“No Abe” Liz stated angrily, “You know he’ll just write John off as going off the deep end and trying to take more on than he can handle. He downplays most of Johns work and you know it. No we need to-” .

“OK so what are we doing again-OW- Liz! Will you cut that out” Hellboy rubbed the back of his head, trying to sooth the smacked area. 

Genji surveyed the group from a few feet away, casually leaning out from under a table. They were a strange bunch. Bickering like small elf who had barely spun into existence and babble of knowing all things. But they were....nice. They listened to Genji, talked and even cared about Genji. The fire lady had such kind eyes and soft hands when she first handed Genji more clothing. They were a special kind of their breed. 

Abe sighed and somehow, the lost note in it was enough to stop Liz and Hellboy in their argument. He didn’t like this plan. No backup meant they were on their own...and if they failed, John would be lost. But the plan wasn’t any better. Too many holes, and one major one he had to point out. 

“Just....How are we going to find him?” 

Liz’s face twitched in worry as she stared off into space, trying to remember any method they could use. Computers weren’t going to be much help as John had been placed off the grid during his medical leave. Tracking his phone had lead to the house he had been staying at during his recovery. Asking around didn’t seem wise and would quickly lead to the man behind all of this finding out they knew something. His identity was unknown for the moment so they really needed to be careful who found out. 

A soft clearing of the throat drew all of them to stare down at Genji, who attentively approached the group. The small elf was rubbing the fabric of its grey jumper between its bone like fingers as if reluctant to mention something bad. A misdeed.

“eh....Genji knows of a way. Genji knows of treasures you have. A finder. Genji heard of it from the man. It finds things, people or other. Genji can use it to find John Myers. Genji can find him” The small elf’s voice grew stronger near the end, almost defiant. 

Hellboy huffed downwards with a smirk on his lips. 

“Hgh, John really knows how to find em. Right. So we’ve got something to find the squirt. So where is it?” 

Here again Genji lowered its head and cuffed its feet like a small child. “Genji heard all your rescued treasures go in a vault-“

Abe gasp cut off Genji “But that’s off limits. If we go there we’ll easily set off the alarm. There would be no way we could get in and take something. There are measured steps to be took just to get near the vault. Its heavily guarded red”. 

Hellboy sighed and got an annoyed look on his face. He looked ready to walk in a take what they needed.  
Metal clashing abruptly startled the room occupants to glare alarmingly at the door, where Professor Krauss stood. Somehow in his metal suit he managed to portray a sense of anger and disappointment. Genji giving him a shy wave from under the table didn’t help matters.

(I can’t write in a German accent-sorry)

“It would seem my help would be needed for this matter, no?”. The room froze on his words and Krauss gave off a puff of smoke in agitation. The silence held as they waiting for an outburst. 

“Mr Myers has been labelled as missing while on medical leave. This is most unusual... and suspicious, while you all suddenly hide away in Hellboys room. These actions are most strange as Hellboy is rude and does not abide others in this sleeping quarters-“ 

Hellboy “hey-“ went unnoticed to the others as Krauss trampled further, toppling a tower of books waist high. “A very bright young agent. Bright enough for professor Broom to entrust his most prized information to”. 

It was no secret that John had been handed the torch at broom’s passing, most agents not being able to make heads of tails of the research. John had been 5th in his class at the academy, nothing special, yet he’d sat down with Abe and an easy smile, and it had all fell into place. 

As it most often did when concerning John. Things just happened for him, both good and bad. But it happened, and him showing results rocketed him into his high powered babysitting position. 

Krauss sighed and jetted steam out into the silent room. 

“yah, I will go into the vault and bring you this item as I am authorized. You forget agent Hellboy. We are all a team. Together we will bring our agent back”.

-(Genji as a supernatural calls other supernatural’s ‘Other’)

*********************************************************  
John ignored the ball for the moment. He’d seen far too many agents get tempted by supernatural trinkets and with one simple touch, be vaporised. Or zombified. Or....worse. 

He wasn’t thinking about it. His head hurt.

Being alone wasn’t so bad. It beat getting eaten by the beasts roaming closer and closer to him the longer Nuada stayed away. 

His would be capture was also his guard it would seem. These were no ordinary beasts, far too strange for the common supernatural entity. The closer they came the more his head felt full of cotton wool, sluggish and unfocused. Whispers of surrender and darkness creeping closer to the forefront of his mind. 

At times he could swear a scaled tail would flicker closer into view and push back into the darkness. They blended as one, often like old friends. He was almost certain if he spent much more time in the cell, he would go insane before he would die. Perhaps that was what Nuada wanted. The breaking point in him. 

He was a realistic man, had always been, even as a child. He wasn’t going to get out without help. He needed someone, his old friends...a new friend to come help him now. He was too far gone in his own mind. The darkness was too close....

John didn’t feel himself slipping, sliding into a limp seated position as the small orb gave a faint glow, flickering once in the darkness, a burning flash around the base and then remained still and quiet.


	23. Most vital and strongest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY FOR BEING SO LONG WAITING. I TRIED TO ADD MORE. 
> 
> Been working on it on and off for a while so i've been writing in a few ideas here and there. 
> 
> ALL OF THIS IS UNBETA'D

Nuada needed to get information on what was going on. Someone had been snooping, and had gotten ahead of him when he’d used one of the farther tunnels. A small squad of men in tactical gear....no match for his sword. Cut through, like fallen leaves.

But too close.

How had they found him....why send their people to die and so shamefully unprepared. It smelled like a foul plan. A stupid and reckless one...made too quickly with no grace or mind but only the end goal. His death it would seem. 

No matter. It had failed. And no rescue had been made for the human. How showing of their pathetic nature that they would not try to rescue a comrade. But the human...he had been too quiet. No screaming for help or freedom.....

Nuada stormed back down the passage ways, kicking back corpses to clear his path and back towards his makeshift cell. He still felt a burning inside to slam his sword into the humans ribcage for his insolence. 

_Such arrogance. Who was he to speak to a prince in such a way- ___

Entering the room, he felt a slight chilling crisp to the air. One that only signalled the absence of magic that once was. All things stilled in the wake of it, hovering for the final bout and sometimes... the rebirth of it.

With the room bare and him alone except for the now comatose human, it felt...odd. It was clogging, the air like thick and physical mush as he passed a few steps in. His senses stretching for the oddity and became warped and enrapt in the mist.

_What was it? ___

__His eyes took in the human, who was now like a limp dog, all loose and too still, a half breath away from death. He was sickly pale with a sheen of sweat to show his grievance while being imprisoned. Hands splayed out to his sides, one a few inches away from-_ _

__The orb?!_ _

__What was it doing out-_ _

__His mind gave a brief showcase of him smashing the container in outrage. Oh, that would have been his own brilliance at work. A foolish mistake on his part. He would have to watch what he broke in the future. But it was no big loss. His book had helped him awaken the orb, and the orb had found something to full itself. It hungered for fulfilment._ _

__Like the hole in every humans heart._ _

__It would seem the orb had found a similar entity and dragged it into its depths. Strange. No human would survive the encounter._ _

__The orb took the most vital and strongest part of a being.  
Human valued their mind and once that was gone, they were lost forever._ _

__Ignoring the human he pushed further in and bent to the orb, his yellow eyes picking out small sparks of light and mist within, swirled lazily in its containment._ _

__Hmmm.... ‘the most vital and strongest part of a being’  
Strange that the orb was putting on such a show for a humans essence. Making sure not to touch the glass, he pulled it up by the golden band that wound around the belly. It was ice cold, the runes etching themselves into his fingers. _ _

__He had not read about this. Not even when the soul of a goblin prince was spirited away by it. Frowning he wobbled the ball, making small bursts of light flare up in quicker succession._ _

__Such oddity._ _

__He would have to consult his book for information on this. Twisting his hand to return the orb to where it had laid, it remained stuck to his fingers. He gave it a shake to try and dislodge it but nothing. It would not let go._ _

__Growling after a few more tries he decided brute force would perhaps win him his freedom. With a silent prayer to the ether gods he bashed the orb against the bars._ _

__It was like taking a club to the head._ _

__He swayed and grabbed at them as he tumbled forward, dizziness and pain burning in his head and behind his eyes. It was sickening that such a device was adaptable to defend itself so easily from destruction. His growl grew quiet as the pain raced further into his head, splitting his mind in two with its force._ _

__The darkness reached out to him like an old friend, and he slipped into its embrace reluctantly._ _

__00000000000000000000000000000000000000000_ _

__“Where are they?!”_ _

__The dulled rage in Lieutenant Jackson voice swam down the phone line to Bill. They’d already hunted through 10 different passages, had lost bravo team, and had patchy contact with alpha._ _

__He didn’t need to tell Jackson that. The guy had been ribbing him for the last hour on updates. Give a guy some time to make some leg work like. They’d landed the small chopper in silence and had ventured down the passageways but within the hour, had started losing men._ _

__Bill didn’t know how Jackson knew, but he had Nuada’s location. And bagging that beasts body would win Bill his job back with some better guns._ _

__He liked the sound of that idea._ _

__Giving a signal to spread out he pushed on further in, flash light at the ready and gun aimed high. Ready to take that stupid high elf’s head off._ _

___0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000  
Since I don’t want to genderize Genji – Genji will be ‘it’ and not ‘He/she’  
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_

__“OK you got the thing, now make it work-”_ _

__Liz glared, smacked Hellboys arm in reprimand._ _

__“What, we’ve been waiting ages. Just get on with it”_ _

__Genji ignored him and pushed open the largest of the maps supplied by Abe, using the books as paper weights to hold the rolling edges. Everyone else was thankfully quite, although the red demon was panicking enough for everyone else....and pacing._ _

__Carefully opening the black bag, Genji pulled a long necklace with a heavy green gem into view. Perfect for what they would need._ _

__Slowly Genji started the motion, tipping the necklace so it began to rock and sway like a pendulum. Gradually the motion picked up until the necklace was blurring across the map. Genji levitated the swaying necklace around, watching for speed decrease and the necklace to respond. And it did._ _

__In the low- ways, the rundown district full of man tunnels and waterways. Not so perfect. Bad ‘other’ went there when keeping quiet._ _

__Genji hoped Mr Myers was ok._ _

__They had a location, thankfully. The red demon was starting to get twitchy.  
Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_ _

__His hands itched distantly. Thousands of ants running along his palms to his wrists, through his veins and deep inside. He didn’t fight them. It felt so much better now...freeing._ _

__Looking around, John could see only blackness, like a room that was caging him in. He knew he should recognise the reference, but the reason escaped him. He was waiting for someone...._ _

__A white shape materialized into view a few feet away, looking just as lost and confused as he was. Was this who he was waiting for?_ _

__His mind relayed a greeting and his mouth opened on a hello. But words were eaten up by this darkness. Words could lie. No, in this darkness you would see what your eyes could not._ _

__His chest was hurting..._ _

__Forgetting the figure for the moment he sat down, unsure how since there was no floor, no ceiling or light source yet he could see this other being perfectly. Clothes in ancient elvin armour, forged by the head blacksmith goblin. A masterpiece for royal born, a royal prince-_ _

__Prince Nuada!_ _

__His body jolted, trying to remember an old fear long since aged, but it was short lived. He had been afraid...maybe he still was. He couldn’t tell. He didn’t feel...much, in this place. But the prince could not hurt him here. They were both trapped in the blackness together._ _

__Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo_ _

__

__He glared around him but nothing changed. The darkness persisted, not swayed by his stance or demands. He was a prince, he would not become a prisoner again after so long of being entrapped. He strained his enhanced eyes to search deep into the dark._ _

__He saw nothing._ _

__He pushed away the disdain this caused him. His eyes had never failed him before, so there must be nothing in the darkness for him to see. No, not in the darkness._ _

__It was a tug on his conscious mind that had him turn around, just about catching sight of a sitting figure. At once he could tell who it was, his hand tensing and wishing for his lance._ _

__The annoying human. His prisoner. Yes that brought a smile to his face._ _

__He looked different here, slightly...more. No distant eyes or afraid body posture. He was open. His eyes clear and alert, seeing into him without any drive behind it._ _

__“You, Human. Where are we?!” He demanded._ _

__The human didn’t respond, just lolled his head to the side as if listening to someone whisper in his ear. Holding down his anger, he stalked towards the human. It would not do to kill him if he knew a way out._ _

__Reaching out, he grabbed onto the front of his jacket. But that wasn’t right, his hand passing through the material as black smoke. He could not grab him. When he tried again, it repeated. Where contact was certain, they passed through each other in a weak cloud, not touching at all. What magic was taking place for the real and solid to be made smoke and shadows._ _

__The thought brought the darkness pressing in, gave it substance and power. Nuada snarled, feeling the pressure build on his arms, tugging him away. When it grew to be too insistent least he may have his arms crushed, he stepped back. The response was instant. No longer pressing, the darkness pushed away, still everywhere yet not close enough._ _

__The human was almost smiling._ _

__How strange._ _


	24. Hearts half of a hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback would be great. 
> 
> Feel like this inst impressing anyone but oh well, i'm still gonna be writting it. Hope to write an ending soon. A chapter or 2 ahead of this so woo. 
> 
> enjoy the update
> 
> Also-see any problems??? point them out to me. I've got no beta reader and hate mistakes. So i dont mind.

“Red, wait!- Slow down Abe, you’re going to get us killed!” Liz shouted to the front of the truck, hands holding onto the bar to stay upright. The image of her bouncing around the tin can set her teeth tight, making her hold on tighter.

Annoyingly, Hellboy had no problem with the sharp turns and twists of the truck, silently tucking a number of guns into his coat and repeatedly eying the door handle.

Eager to leave.

There seemed more chance of him being thrown out the truck if the drive lasted much longer.

Genji had strapped itself into the front passenger seat, enforcing the need to hurry by holding the map for Abe and navigating. Krauss had stepped up to try and claim the seat when they’d all ‘borrowed’ the truck but Genji had slipped in and to Hellboys hysterical laughter, had given him a look. A clear ‘Back off. This one’s taken’. Krauss had retracted himself, allowing it gradually and had tucking himself away into the back with the rest of them. Once he’d seen the computer he’d became animated,  stating he would run interference from the onboard computer, communicating with the perusing agents.

Abe hadn’t even given them time to settle before flooring the garbage truck, exiting the compound and sending the surrounding agents into a desperate flurry to chase. 

He seemed in a desperado mood, flying through red lights when he felt it just and safe-ish. Screeching horns and tires didn’t deter him. Liz had never seen him so set. After Nuala, Abe hadn’t had the same drive as he once had.

“Krauss is there-“

“One moment miss Elizabeth. I seem to be having a discussion with a most infuriating man”

Kruass tapped repeatedly at the glowing screen,

“He wishes for us to cease and desist. Well, it would appear we are being labelled run-away’s. Guards are being dispatched. AH!” Krauss replied happily and cheerful. “It would seem agent Clay and his men are providing us ample distraction”.

A car screeched behind them, followed by a sudden crash. Hellboy smirked openly, loading his last gun and thrusting it into his pocket.

“Gotta love Clay, he does let us out to play”

Everyone was smirking then, well, as much as a demon, fishman and machine could. Genji just smiled along with them. Whatever a clay was, it must be nice to make them happy.

Casually Genji looked back to the map, its old texture a sure feeling in design and layout.

“Left here Mr Abe”

Liz’s startled scream was rivalled by hellboys laughter as Krauss rolled back out of his seat from the rather abrupt turn Abe pulled.

Maybe they would get there in time. Genji hoped so.

 

***********************************************************

“Where are we human!” Nuada asked, looking around yet still unable to see. The darkness was moving as a solid mass, things twisting inside and rolling away before his sight could hone in.

“...How should I know....here?” John eventually replied, sounding relaxed and tired. How long had it been since he’d talked...seen Nuada or-

“Do not speak in rhymes. I detest your kind enough” Nuada was near spitting in contained rage at him. He wanted to bring great harm to the human for being so relaxed. So ‘laid back’ was their term. Wherever they had been dragged to, it was stealing something from them.

The human was showing the tells. Dormant looking in mind and body, almost succumbing to the dark and nothingness of the void. Empty.

He tried to remember why that mattered. It felt...strange, trying to think. Like opening a door half way and seeing the edge of a person, the shoulder the only outline and clue to who it might be. But it was there.

John gasped harshly on the floor, hands flailing on his legs for a seconds and eyes snapping into focus on him. He looked like he was in shock of a strong realisation.

“I...why are we here!....don’t tell- wait”

Nuada watched the human slip out of his crossed leg sitting pose, flopping forwards to hands and knees, struggling. What was going on?

John gasped, expelling clouds of dark dust from the floor below. But no. That wasn’t right. There was no floor, or ceiling or walls or ground...it was darkness. They were trapped-, the orb-

“The orb...the stolen relic-“

Nuada nodded, yes that was right. He had tried to fix his own problem and had made another. He really would need to check on his book again, ensure he had not paid for a broken treasure. But he knew that. It just felt hard pressing in on his own thoughts, a pressure trying to make him forget.

A gasp like snakes and soil breathed out of the darkness, pushing in on them with its unfelt wind of thought. A brush of minds all joined as one to speak.

 _~Yes_ ~ it whispered.

John jolted, finally looking up at Nuada in slow recognition, remembering who he was and what the prince meant. Funny, Nuada had never seen such a look of regret and sorrow on a humans face before.

_~YYyeeess~_

John slid back into his sitting position, composing himself. He felt tired and drained, but looking at Nuada, the prince still held his proud angry stance. Looking down at him like an annoying bug he wished to kill. Yes. He’d been wronged by humans for so long...his whole lineage of people had. Hell, every supernatural at some point had felt the greed and power of humanity.

Humanity had also felt the other side’s power and greed. Its inhuman killing force. But the scales were tipping into human favour now. Hence, why Nuada was now glaring at him as if he had personally offended or questioned his bloodline.

“It wasn’t meant to be like this...” John tried to speak firm, but it whispered out of him weakly.

Nuada raised one eyebrow down at John, waiting for more meaning to come from the words.

“How do you think we got you into your cell?” John waves a weak hand downwards , his face contorting as he spoke of pain as if it were his own. And it was....it was all of theirs.

Nuada scoffed, sure of himself. He would never allow himself to be taken prison, not by any human. He must have been...injured. Strange. He did not remember such a thing. Or stranger, there was very little he could remember. What stayed strong in the front of his mind was the pain in his heart. It had not left him in all his time in captivity.

 “You were a solid stone statue” John spoke harder now, his resolve strengthening. He had been one of the many agents tasked with cleaning the site, hefting metal arms and limbs to and from to clear room. To clear a path as the twins were carried out of the tomb.

“We did all we could to revive both of you but Nuala, she-she fell. She never rose up, no matter how much Abe tried. He did everything. Searched every book, hunted every lead and myth to revive her to her true living form...even begging her to return. But she wouldn’t. He didn’t....doesn’t have the answers to save her...” John shook his head.

The hollowness widening inside Nuada. _So this is what it feels like....to have a hole in your heart._ No. It was more, his soul.

He had awoken after the battle with a rage fit to burn a kingdom to its base. He had not questioned it, for it closely resembled what he had once carried against humanity. But no, the burn was his loss. A gaping hole where something important used to live.

That mythical voice pierced around and through him, talking with a thousand and one voices. _~The bond between you two is broken. Perhaps permanently. Nothing you do alone can repair that. But maybe with help, it can be mended ~_

John seemed not to hear it now..didn’t react at all to the swelling of heat and tension emitting around them.

“When we found the two of you, we thought you lost- to the world of the living. You didn’t move yet your souls remained trapped inside the rock, unable to break free” He huffed as if suddenly losing some control. A lost sound that fled into the dark.

It was as if the two were queued one after another, john would speak and then the other. But the human was quiet....the voice taking over from the darkness.

_~You, were moved to a cell, her... to a temple. Abe often prays to her, worships her as a goddess who passed their life down for those of littler world meaning. The greatest sacrifice was made, and it was made....to stop you~_

_~“Nuala, slain by a blade of her own hand, a sentence she herself carried out. Perhaps your punishment is not imprisonment, but to be without her.  To be without is far worse that to have and yet be ‘out of reach’, correct prince Nuada. For if she is gone, never shall you reunite ~_

He couldn’t hold back the shattered expression that broke through him in realisation. In all his years he had never allowed himself to show these emotions for his kin. He was a prince, he had to be strong and fearless. With a face that showed only pride and courage, not the devastation of his loss, his sister, his other half!-

_~The pain you felt in your heart at that perfectly still moment was not the dagger mirroring its kin, but the stab of your own pride, wounding you- for you forced her to it. Her last act to finally silence the arrogant prince. And a prince you will always be. For a king cannot be so broken as you are now. Shattered- the two parts that were once whole into dust and fallen stone~_

_~The lineage has fallen in this crucial moment, and it will remain broke until a prince... gives over his cold heart to the hands of those who might hold it in their warmth, and pump in life, to save him~_

Nuada shook his head violently. No, humans were not to be trusted. They had shown their treachery many times of in the centuries. Stepping over all, even their own to reach higher goals.

No- he would not allow it.

The hole inside grew wider, gaping inside. He was losing himself, while the human seemed to be gaining more of his senses.

“...nuada....Prince....”

He gritted his teeth in anger at being addressed rightly so by an unworthy human. This human who he had taken prisoner. His jailer who had stood watch over him as others attempted to pry into his mind and extract blood and skin cells for science means without his consent.

No- he wouldn’t-

“Nuada!”


	25. The fall into darkness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long. Losing motivation but its coming along. Hope to end it in a few more chapters.
> 
> Also rushed getting this out- So if you see any errors, such as spelling, let me know. But if its incorrectly spelt cos of american terms, dont tell me.

“Sir....what’d we do with em?”

Bill glared down at the scene. Myers was restrained in some jazzy dark metal cell while Nuada was conked out at the edge of it, arm half reaching in as if to claw at the sleeping form.

This was getting weirder by the minute. Maybe he ought to make a call and get some orders.

....Or, better yet.

“Turn him over” he ordered the nearest soldier to Nuada. Without subtly the man kicked at the fallen prince, toppling him to face up. He looked the same as they had last seen him, perhaps a touch better dressed. The skin still hugged close to his bones from his time in captivity.

Bill had a nice little idea. One that he was gonna ride to the hills with. Make himself look like a big damn hero...all thanks to Johnny boy. Again.

Bill smirked at the unconscious man in the cell. He’d have to thank him later....if he survived.

“...Gimmie his stick”. He pointed down to the fallen lance, half sheathed but the blade still long enough to do damage. It was well known humans couldn’t use elvin weaponry. But it was sharp enough to get the job done for now.

***********************************************************

“Ehem....excuse me you two but....i think we have a problem” Abe commented, splitting up Liz’s and hellboys whispering argument. He pointed down to the floor, letting his torch shine down on a fallen soldier in dark combat gear.

Liz slide her glare back to hellboy, “Well, at least your small armoury of guns might come in useful this time”.

“Hmmm. That’s not good” Hellboy commented, pulling out one his larger guns. “Let’s get this party moving gals and gills”.

Genji fluttered the map to get the big ones attention, “This way, it leads to the centre-“

A scream rebated down the passage, loud enough to inform them its creator was in a good deal of pain. Genji didn’t wait, Genji ‘couldn’t’ wait. Mr Myers was in trouble and Genji had told him where to go and Mr Myers had said he would take care of it. What if he couldn’t. Genji would be to blame. Genji didn’t like Mr Myers being in pain, he was nice.

Taking off down the passage, Genji’s little feet slapped loudly in the small stream of stagnant water. Sneaking in was not an option. They couldn’t be too late. The demon ape made more noise as he barrelled past Genji in the direction of the scream, making more leg work than Genji could. Taking a leap, Genji pulled itself up on the demons back, eyes on the map and angling them in the right direction.

The princes pride would mean he would want a centre show for what he had planned.

Genji didn’t like the silence after that scream. It meant bad things. Very, very bad things.

***********************************************************

Wha-“

John reached towards Nuada, suddenly sliding down, torso sinking into the black.

Nuada grunted, watching his own knee’s disappear down in a similar state. They were sinking. Not advisable.

He looked up to the human, unsure of his next move or if he could stand on the stupid ones head to elevate himself. But- he didn’t look right. The pained look on his face should not be there. Not when he had done nothing to-

“I-“ John coughed, trying to clear his chest. But it hurt, feeling full for some reason yet constricting to protect itself. He grabbed at his shirt, pulling at it to try and relieve whatever was causing the sensation. There was an underlying ache that spread through his centre, watering into his lungs and back. What was happening?

He slid alarming down again, sliding to his shoulders this time. When he looked to Nuada to check if the prince’s position had changed, it had not. No, it was just him. Whatever was happening was only happening to him.

The sense of knowing came slowly. Knowing if he fell completely into the black, he was dead. His self would be absorbed and combine with the darkness that had a thousand voices. Maybe he should start to panic, but he couldn’t. Everything felt...empty. Void of feeling or emotion. Fear was weak and almost none existent.

“Nuada...i think something’s...happening. I cant...move. I think-. I don’t know...”

Silly human. He did not even know he was dying. And quickly if his progress into the blackness was any indication. Whatever was happening to him was not to do with the orb. It was too quick. No, this had the touch of outside influence.

His own progressive slipping meant he had also been injured. Whoever had attacked him was sure to feel the end of his spear when he awoke. How pitiful, attacking when your enemy is down or asleep. It was not the warriors way. Nor a noble one.

“It brings me some joy to inform you human, that you are dying. These are your last moments...spend them well”. Nuada held himself still, not wanting to quicken his own slide. He had stopped descending, strong in his resolve that he would not follow the human to death. The orb only claimed one life at a time.

John looked at him...looked right through him, and then, started to laugh. His lips turned up all on their own and he was suddenly laughing, the idea of death in this place flooding his insides with heat. Something had to be wrong to make it so. But he could-stop.

The world of dark pinched, pulling back at the edges to get away. It ripple and swayed, unwavering in itself before...breaking.

It was Nuada’s last sight, everything shattering, and it felt like the end.

***********************************************************

“ _Sir_!-” The room erupted into gun fire coming from the northern corridor.

 “Take cover you girl!” Bill roared at his men, jumping behind spilled containers to get out the way. The wood wasn’t much of a barrier for the bullets destroying the room.

Wood chippings were launched up into the air at the total destruction and violence. Grunts and sharp cries of pain lifted with them, ceasing abruptly. Bill growled, dropping down to the floor before the man to his right who was unlucky and got hit by stray bullets.

Eventually the hammering of bullets stopped. It took but a moment for Bill to decide playing dead would be advisable. Whatever was coming through that door was more equipped and prepared than he was. He didn’t need to look around to see all his men down and out. What a waste. And he didn’t even get to try out ‘Gladis’, his new hot piece of weaponry.  Such a waste.

*****************************************************************

“NO, stop you ignorant demon!” Genji cried up at Hellboy, tugging roughly at the long coat.

“What now!” Hellboy glared down at the small elf, annoyed but stopped firing. Clay and his group took the queue and ceased fire, watching the room for any new threat. The plan was simple. Shoot around the cell so they didn’t hit John- _oh god squirt what’d he do-_ and take out the swat team. Then Hellboy would go beat to death whoever had hurt Myers. Damn kid looked like something of a new morgue victim, all pale and bloody.  

Genji stood stock still, face drawn tight. A thin bony arm jabbing and pointed to a small object in the room, sitting idly out of Nuada’s fallen hand. A small glass ball.

“What-That thing-“

“Shoot it” Genji angrily cut across. The little elf hadn’t shown any anger or rage since they’d met, but the glass ball seemed to do the trick. “Destroy it, get rid of it-“

 A smashing sound cut across Genji’s angry rant, making the elf sag in relief. Abe nodded, holstering his weapon after blowing the orb apart. He’d have to mention the new iron laid rounds to Hellboy soon or else the demon might get onto the fact he got the better ammunition before him.

A reaction took place to the orbs death, the room shivered, the air almost becoming solid and visible before flowing away and back into nothing. Twin gasps lifted from the cell, the only movement from the prone figure of the prince struggling to draw breath his body had not had before.

“JOhn!-Oh god-“ Liz grabbed at the bars, pushing hard to superheat them. Around her palms the bars began to glow orange, spreading up till they melted apart enough for her frame to fit through. Rushing in, she made to grab at john, but stopped, her hands hovering over his fallen frame.

She didn’t know what to do-“Krauss!-Abe, get in here I need you” she shouted in contained panic.

Nuada internally grumbled as his body’s slow response to his command. Rolling his head on the dirty floor, he looked to the captured human....his spear sticking out of his chest.

Ah....he...didn’t remember doing that. He would defiantly remember doing that...would have stored the memory in his most cherished moments. Or top 10 for getting back at humanity.

But no-he had not done this. Which was why he felt it very unjust when the demon responded by angrily kicking him in the face. How uncouth and disgraceful for a high born to kick another when down. He felt the spark of pain again before the bright flashes sunk him into an unconscious state.

\----

Sooooo ....feedback?......please....


	26. Choking pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow an update. Tell me if there's any errors or grammar mistakes

=Wow an update, so yer...ending soon.=

 

He was grunting, nails trying to catch at the strong hand holding his head and arching his neck. To grab at anything and make it- _STOP-IT-HurTs._ A cruel laugh vibrated through his ear as the duchess licked her canines clean.

“Oh Johnny boy, I knew you were special. I knew you’d taste so sweet. So fresh” she gasped into his ear, sounding excited and eager. She swiped a hard sandpaper tongue on the wound of his neck, causing him to flinch. If she took anymore he wouldn’t be coming back from this.

He’d either turn- _Gods no_ \- or die. He would rather die. He knew what being turned would do to him; he wouldn’t be able to handle it. It would utterly destroy the John Myers that was and replace him with a dark husk, hungry for blood and death.

Weakly, he lifted his hand to her face, trying to push her away and she laughed at him, licking the reaching fingers and smearing blood on the tips. It was still slightly warm.

He forced himself to ignore the lurching of his stomach, holding onto the pain in his neck.

“Oh Johnny, now you’re just playing hard to get. Don’t you want to die?”

She shook him “I can smell the need all over you. The _hate_ and self loathing! The fear-“ she laughed, holding him up like he weighed nothing, swaying his dead weight like a rag doll.

“I can make it end. I can give you that. Don’t you want it” she leaned close, “Don’t you need it” she harshly whispered, eyes honed in on his neck.

This was it. John thought, watching the teeth come closer and past his line of sight. This was how he’s died.

Pain covered everything. It coated his insides in ice liquid that ripped him apart, spread across his vision like a white sheet. It lasted forever, his mouth open and agape with a silent scream. Only, it didn’t seem so silent anymore.

His hearing was coming online, piercing the veil to let him hear his own dying wail. Screaming his head off seemed the apt term. God it hurt to scream. Everything hurt-

“John!”

He slid back down into darkness, catching sight of a red blur as his eyes closed again. Oh well, he’ll remember who it was later. Pain was fading away....everything was fa-

“What’s happening to him Abe!” Hellboy demanded as he stood over John in his small bed and sweating form. Thankfully he was now unconscious and no longer screaming as if a hellhound was nibbling on his ankles. He was deathly pale, a large bandage wrapping around his chest with a small red patch. There was only so much that could be done with magical wounds.

Stitching the wound hadn’t worked. Gluing it....had been a gruelling task. Poor John was going to look like Frankenstein when it was healed. The blood stopped seeping through but a rash had started around the wound.

Something was happening.

“This is bad” Abe noted in worry, hands tapping across Johns wound and quivering as it swayed along his arm.

“What” Hellboy appeared behind his shoulder, eyebrows creased as if trying to see the problem and clearly not helping matters.

“There’s something-” Abe shook his head at a loss. He couldn’t do anything to slow down the process.

“What!” Red insisted with more urgency,

“It’s the wound...its contaminating his blood” Abe explained, hands moving animatedly to explain why he couldn’t help. Hellboy growled, glaring at the white stitching slowly turning redder. The lance was a magic war weapon made for a prince; of course it would hold magical elements to continue damage after the attack. Gods damn that goblin and his craftsmanship.

“You gotta be shitting me. How the hell-”

“Red, this is bad...”

Liz stepped forward, arms locked at her sides, “Doesn’t matter. Whatever we need for the cure we’ll get”. She looked down at john, now quiet but unconscious in the bed. He looked pale, lips pulled back to accommodate air as his chest heaved just a tad more.

Hellboy slowly turned, trying to not catch sight of his paling form, “and if we can’t...”

Liz shook her head, ignorant of his doubt. She wouldn’t allow it. They had to save him this time.

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

“Release me now you couth. I am-“

The door slamming shut cut off his cursing. Huffing, he lent his frame forward, tensing his restrains to try and break them. These ones were stronger, leading up to the middle of his arms and straight down to his wrists. No room for flexing and twisting.

Hmph, they were getting smarter....pity they were still ignorant fools.

Standing up he honed in on the door, powerfully storming forward and delivering a hard kick. Not a dent, but the base of his foot throbbed disobediently for his actions. He would kill them for imprisoning him...again.

This cell was bigger than the last, with lower lighting to accommodate his sensitive eyes and pale complexion. It could have been much brighter had they wanted him to be uncomfortable.

Humans and their ways. One side wanted him dead, the other locked away for good.

It took only a few hours for the lights to be turned off all together, leaving him in pitch black. Ah, small mercies.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

“No no no!-stop touching” Genji slapped Abe’s hand away from johns bandages, ignoring Abe’s affronted face that said enough. Hellboys lack of howling laughter seemed to enhance how serious the situation was getting.

“Excuse me Genji but i really must-“

“No” Genji insisted, standing delicately on johns unconscious form. Light as a feather Genji hopped forwards. “Mr John is sick...but not your kind sick”.

“Yeah we got that. Johns a little more human than the rest of us...”Hellboy started, openly twitching as he lifted his cigar to his lips only for Liz to smack his hand away.

“...wait” Abe cut across; face trying not show his growing unease. If it was what he thought, john would need more help than they were giving. For a small moment, the dull ache of Nuala’s passing gripped him, echoing this new potential loss to the old. Not again....

Genji sighed, “Yes, i think it’s so Mr Abe. John has always been a little too special, yes?”

“What...what’s that supposed to mean” Hellboy tilted his body forwards in anger, angling himself towards the little elf. “Hey! Tell us what the hell-“

“Red” Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him back before he could advance anymore.

“If its part of the problem, John is in very serious danger here” Abe sighed heavily, “We need supplies”.

“Yes, supplies. I have supplies” Genji bounced down off the bed. Its little feet making a quiet pitter patter on the floor as the only signal of movement. “We also need the prince”.

“WHAT-Why!” hellboy exploded.

“He was the start of it, and he will end it as well” Genji began picking up the books Hellboy had knocked over with his outburst. “You see Mr Red, John is special. You can tell, or some part of you can. You all can. I know you can see but-” Genji turned and look sadly at john, who had started sweating in rivets now. “He does not want to see. He is waiting for a key to unlocking something. I do not know what it is yet but i am allowed to know other things- ”.

Genji bit its little pale lip in distress, tucking the books into a small pile with haste. Quietly continuing, Genji expertly climbed onto Abe’s desk, swinging up and sitting itself on top of the books to tell the tale.

“John can see you, and know you without talking to you. He can see deep into us all and find where our kindness and heartbreaks are. That is special. It is rare for human kind to be so sighted. But he is. And i fear he had looked too deep into the prince, who does not let any see inside him but his other half, and he detests him for it. For his sight, Nuada has tried to blind John to his inner workings”.

Hellboy huffed angrily. “Yeah, nothing like a spear to the chest to make it known how much you hate a guy. So why is that pointy eared elf needed?”

“He must correct his mistake. Give and take back what will again be lost” Genji said, its big eyes rounding out in wonder.

“...What?”

“He must lose himself to find his other half again-“

Abe startled, stepping forwards, “Wait!- you mean, do you mean- can she?”

“Yes, perhaps, but that’s why the prince is needed. And why we need john”.

“Right, well i guess i’ll go talk to Nuada then” Liz finalized, already leaving the room with a determined gait to her walk.

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

“What do you want, she-demon” Nuada intoned tiredly. He’d spent most of the night trying to rip the room apart and find a hole to get out of. But the bed was bolted down, the floor and ceiling solid and even the door had inlaid iron for clawing at and burning his fingers.

“I’ve just been informed by Genji of your other half”

_She couldn’t know, no one would know of the meaning of her. What she is to him and how it felt when that gap finally appeared inside._

“Speak then”

“We can bring her back, but-“ She held her hand up, stopping Nuada as he lurched up off the metal framed bed. “At a price”

“Is it not always so. Tell me!”

“You need to help John-“

“That snivelling worm of a human” he laughed lightly. “There is no need, he will be dead soon. But let it be known, I would have gladly imbedded my spear into him, but I did not. No, there were others...humans who turned against him” He huffed; they always did turn on each other, knowing no loyalty to their own.

“Soldiers?....we found some but-“

“Yes, but get back to what you talked of before. You speak of bringing her back. Tell me of it”

Liz lifted her head high, “You need to get a few things. You made the problem, you get to fix it. And hope John is forgiving enough to help you back”

“He is too kind hearted to watch me suffer that loss again” Nuada added a twisted smirk, his resolve weakening for a chance.

“....we know”.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

“You wish for me to speak to a troll” Nuada quietly raged at the small elf who seemed undeterred by his authority and status.

“Hey, you met a few in the market when you were busy ending the world” hellboy added smugly. “It won’t kill you to converse with common folk for a change”

Nuada’s stance grew tense, his lips lined straight with his rage. The two stared at each other for tense moments, pausing the room’s occupants.

Abe fluttered his hands high to cut them off “No, we’re all going. Well you all are at least. I’ll be caring for John as best as I can under the circumstances. But a troll would know of the spell we need”.

“Why”, Liz shrugged. Nuada was the one to answer her.

“Because, they deal in many a spell that would turn other beings souls black. Why do you think their appearance is so putrid”.

Hellboy smirked, lifting his gun up and ready to his shoulder. “Well...looks like we’re all going shopping”.


	27. A trolls toll to pay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See any errors? - LET ME KNOW. [if ur american and u think the grammars wrong...dont worry about it]

“So where do we st-”

“I know of the one we need to speak with” Nuada’s voice held a clipped tone of irritation. The noise of the market swelled up from time to time in bidding wars between all kinds of species. Their small group didn’t so much as partake a second glance.

The group wavered around Nuada, untrained in their attempt to cage him in or ensure he did not escape. They would not be able to stop him. But he would ensure the red ape fell first for his past transgressions.

“This way” he said levelly, pushing through a small gap in the crowd and silently enjoying the sounds of annoyance the red demon and trolls alike made having to part ways for the other.

He ignored the gravel and mush that was crushed underfoot, eyes honing in the lowering light as they travelled deeper. It was a secluded section of the market, one that gained a select type of...customers.

A small corner filled with strange furs and wet books sat unobscured but empty. Each time Nuada had passed through, the keeper had set up shop, his sloppy books a bargain for the water folk. Very powerful spells and potions or fur to allow them to walk among land. Not ideal as they would not survive the trip to his stall being out of their environment for too long.

But that was the point. This stall was always the last resort.

“Keeper...we have come to see your wares!” Nuada demanded to the empty room. No noise followed, nor did the troll appear as he often did.

“Maybe he’s not here” Genji said, big eyes rolling over the furs and its thin boned fingers twiddling in an unconscious urge to tough.

Nuada reframed from glaring down at the small elf, as it seemed it had no effect. The little elf followed his trail and shadow with envy and awe....and annoying questions.

“No little one. I am here. As i have always been” A deep voice rumbled from a tall shadow made from the stall. The troll made his appearance, stepping out of his own shadow to appear before them. He was certainly not the tallest...or fattest. But he would have been a challenge in a fight.

Built for strength and speed, he portrayed an air of expectation of them. Dark furs hung around him; many overlaid on his back to build up a hump. A thick cane tapped the floor in his approach, a strange face and carving at the head and a dark vein design running from top to base.

“....but you all” he continued, “No. You have not always been so. Never together, but a great tragedy has brought this about. One of you has made such a tragedy”

Its voice was the deep for its kind, echoing as if from a long tunnel underground, groans hidden in its depths.

“We are here to purchase an item off your stall” Nuada defiantly said, eyes boring into the troll who towered over him.

“I am a merchant after all. And you are a fallen prince who has fell his own kingdom...please, choose through my wares...” the troll used his stick to advertise his dripping corner.

Nuada would have killed him then and there had they not needed the book so urgently. But later, perhaps after it was all done, he would return.

The troll seemed to know this already, his squinting eyes trailing over the group before he huffed a deep laugh and showed them over.

“So what are we loo-“hellboy started, knocking a rocking head hanging from string that snapped at him.

“This” Nuada leant forward to lift the dirty book that was immediately smacked down again by the cane. Nuada forced himself not to react, merely raising his eyes slowly, staring at the troll who was now openly glaring at them...for good reason. This was not a kind book to sell on to those of the desperate nature.

That apparent leather bound cover was not...completely leather. Nor the ink or paper genuine materials of that kind.

“No my prince. If you want it, you will have to pay...” the cane strayed closer to the hand still holding the book, pressing lightly but meaningful.

“Very well. How much do you want for your...little book” Nuada drawled as if bored, hand still clench on it. Items had a mind of their own on a trolls table, jumping around and swapping hands for an unfair purchase. Old magic of trickery.

“6...” the troll added no more words. His kind were difficult to barter with and had a habit of changing their mind if the deal felt to not be in their favour.

“6?”Nuada prompted after the troll had fallen silent.

“Savourins” he added, a smile in his deep voice that had Nuada’s scowl turn furious.

“That is a price fit for a prince!” Nuada near hissed in outrage. He still had his title and royal born manners. However, high manners would only spare the wary.

Fools were fair for hunting.

“Yes. And it is a prince I am dealing with now” The trolls voice rumbled, cane rapping the table next to the book.

“3-“ Nuada started-

“No....6 Savourins is the price. If not, then I feel we will not meet again... for a while....”

 _Curse this arrogant and bull headed race_. Nuada glared at the troll, expecting an answer. Boorish though they may be, some intelligence made them cocky and eager to prove their smarts.

“Until your pride has found its weight in gold”.

“Yes...i see” Nuada dully replied. The red demon snorted behind him, not needing the words in the open. _That, could take a little time_

He had only to turn his head an inch to the right to miss the gun that sprung from the demons coat, pointed at the trolls face. His table reacted, becoming animated as the legs morphing to try and move

“Hey!” Liz gripped the table, stopping its quick escape as wooden legs wobbled and swayed.

“Now, we can do this nice and easy or nice and hard. We need that book, and we can make a deal. So how bout you get to keep your face and we get to keep that book”. Hellboy pushed, aimed at the troll’s right eye.

“Your weak weapons will not harm me. I am older than all of you and will live to see this worlds end. I have told you my price, i will take none oth-“ A crash cut off his statement. The cups and plates slid off his table as little fingers clearing space. Genji quickly climbed up into the clearing, pulling out a cord from its small pocket.

The cord was brittle and scruffy, its ends meshed and dirty. But genji only needed to lift it to the air for the troll to stumble towards it.

“Where did you get the cord of a banshee!” he demanded, ignoring hellboys weapon and annoyed expression.

“Never mind that!” Genji stated firmly. “We need this book for Mr John. You can have this, but we want that book...and one of your furs”.

The troll drew back on himself, his expression already telling of how hard he wanted to fight such an apparent good deal.

Grunting, the troll reached towards his wall to pull one of his furs down.

“No” Genji shrilly cried, “one of those” it pointed to the trolls back. This earned a more deadly growl off the troll but it continued, dropping one of its own to the floor and pushing the book off its stall to clatter down.

Genji dropped the cord into one of the remaining cups on the table before dropping down, tying the book within the fur to haul over its little shoulder.

Liz glared down at the table, slowly stepping back to let it continue its walk out.

“Be careful what you wish for. My items are last acts...and they will be the end for many things in this world. Have a good night...” He faded back to his shadow, his table now gone with only ratty fur’s left on the wall.

“Well...it’s just my colour i guess” Hellboy said to no one, eyes cast down at Genji who offered up the bundle.

\----

Nuada opened up the book as the fish being fluttered uselessly over the dying human who seemed to be slipping away with each turn of the page.

His fingers traced an interesting line of old text. _The only way to negate the deadly magic was..._

“Let me guess. Poetically fates gonna ask for the gently kiss of a high elf?” Hellboy smirked darkly down at Nuada, who had begun to casually imagine his death as he worked through the text.

“No....the blood of a high demon” Nuada’s smile widened, showing off his best smug feature.

Hellboys smirk fell. “You gotta be shitty me?!”

“This last inscription is long. I believe it states how to completely remove the taint” Nuada recited, running his finger down the passage. “What?- Why will it not be fully removed with the demons blood-“ Nuada cut off, glaring and tightening his hold on the book, the hard cover creaked in his palm.

“...I can’t read this last part” Nuada growled, gripping the book tighter as if to force it to obey.

“Here let me look” Genji said, plopping itself into the princes lap. The room held still for a moment, the little elf ignorant of the potential danger it had placed itself in. Nuada didn’t react. It was bold for such a little creature to speak up in a royals presence...quite another to be so....forward.

“Here- it says” Genji quoted, its stick like finger following the flowing line of text. “To remove the touch of the magic, take 2 drops of blood from the cold hearted one...to cool the burn of the wound. And a tear from a sorrowful...do we have one of those?” Genji asked innocently.

Nuada didn’t move, staring hard at the back of the elf’s head and reframe from looking up, ignoring the demons open grin. He could already feel the smug ape readying a comment.

Perhaps it meant the blood of the vampire. But it was a risky idea in itself. Vampires turned humans by transferring blood to the victim. A great deal of the carrier’s blood was not needed for the change. Hence, why they were hunted so eagerly.

A cold heart. Yes, they all knew just where to find one. If it beat hard in battle, it was the joy of conquest. If it beat one drop of life’s blood to save a human...that was surely a miracle.

“It must be mistake-“ Nuada tried to counteract what was to come.

“Save it Nuada, we need some of your blood. You know how important this is”, Liz finalised, reminding Nuada of what he could potentially lose should he allow his pride to interfere...again.

He glared sideways at her, rising up and ignoring the little elf that scrambled to get onto the table before it could fall.

Abe grabbed up a vial, offering it out to Nuada. The prince grimaced, pulling out a dagger to snick his finger on. Two drops...that was all. Lowering the wound and allowing some blood to flow out felt...final. Like he was offering something he was not fully aware of.

But for her...to get her back. He would shed more blood for that cause.

Hellboy’s tail pulled the dagger out of his grip, pricking his own finger also and adding his blood to the mixture. Not a second was wasted with him. He felt greatly for the dying human.

“...I was not the one who stabbed your human. Although i would have...that act was not mine”.

Hellboy nodded in acceptance. There had been strange dealings going on recently at the base, certain soldiers following him with their eyes for too long. Staring too hard and making his tail twitch. Liz had been under lockdown for a week for unknown reasons...didn’t stop him breaking in and spending time with her.

“We still haven’t finished it...” Abe added, sadly looking down at john. “Its needs to tears of a...a sorrowful...”

“Oh Mr Abe...” Genji sighed in upset, its little hand patting his lower leg. Abe blinked his eyes down at the elf, trying to take in its meaning.

“What?” he asked. The little elf sighing harder to portraying a sense of pain as it continued to stare up at him...at him like-

He turned his attention inwards, the pain in his chest making him ache from its knowledge. He’d not looked too deep into the hole that had appeared in him at Nuala’s passing. It was where his grief and misery disappeared.

“Yes...i see. That might work...but mine cant...it can’t be enough. Not for John. He’s too-

“He loves you...all of you. It will be enough”, Genji answered, its little fists tight with belief.

Abe sighed, “alright...but i still think another will be needed”.

“Don’t you think your pain is enough?” Genji stepped closer, a passion in its stance and meaning to its words. “Mr John thought _I_ was enough when no one did. He needed me. Don’t you think we have all felt the same pain of loss that every being feels? From small to big to old and young. We all lose something eventually...but it can’t be him”

“No”, a stern voice cut through the statement. The air wavered, shimmering like heat in the desert, quivering as the temperature increased with importance. Liz stepped forward, pushing the vial towards abes face, towards the eyes that shinned a little too wet than normal.

“Abe, do it for him...and for her...and”, She finished in a whisper, “for yourself”.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry i know i said i'd update this sonner but...erm....surprise an update.  
> Also if you see any grammar errors let me know and i'll fix them.

“..I-Ccant...BRrreathee-“ John gasped in a forced out whisper, his body arching in pain. Everything was on fire, his skin, his blood, his very centre of being. It was alit and setting everything ablaze.

“Tilt your head back squirt” Hands grabbed at the hair on the back of his head, tilting the lava inside his skull to scorch new areas. It was painful in a sense, ice and coldness flowing like water and spread along the back of his scalp, flooding his mind and down his back.

A vague sense of him dying drifted up lazily into his brain. Death....maybe that would finally be it. Maybe this was it after all. Alright, he-

There was a noise, and a warm pain in his neck. John recognised it a couple of seconds after the pain had parted its long curtain enough from over his brain, enough for him to recognise his own agonising scream. He was screaming, almost endlessly with much needed gasps for air, but it wasn’t enough. The pain was always there, duller but echoing through his chasms as if he were a newly discovered cave.

Remaking and redesigning him in colours of red and flashes of white agony. _Make it stop...make-_

“-stop!” John choked, hands gripping onto the arm rests of the medical bed. A feeling of water flowing inside his mind took him by surprise, the pain swam away as if it was not his own. John blinked up at the ceiling, dazed at the emptiness. It all slipped away, floating down through-

“I-“

“Mr John!” something small shrilled close to his ear. He’d never had the best hearing but it was like a small room of bells had gone off inside his skull. He managed a pained grunt as his vision flickered white and then it was back to darkness and the big empty.

_Thank the gods for small favours...._

“Abe!” Liz demanded, hand still patting the side of the bed inches from John as if to hold back the pain that had erupted moments earlier. It was fading but its echo was enough of a reminder to not let John slip any more.

“Enough” Nuada demanded, “Awaken him. Do as you have promised and-”

The sound of a noise blaring steadily had the room turn in quiet horror back to John. Genji’s ears flicked back in worry, half perched over the still human and watched the heart monitor read a straight line.

“Oh god-”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

He hadn’t felt this light in years, maybe even never. No, he’d never felt so....puffy. floating like a cloud. He tried to draw his mind back to himself, knowing there was something urgent he’d been dealing with but-

“Hello” A soft voice mumbled just behind him, and suddenly, John could think. He turned, his movements slow and sluggish and towards that voice. That soft sweet voice that sang such heartbreaking noise and praise. She was always perfect, always beautiful and dressed in the colours of the sky and oceans and-

“Hello?” John echoed back to the person. And it was indeed human shaped. Clouds seem to hover in and around the form, as they did his.

“Where am i” he half whispered in disbelief as he raised his arm, the mist phasing his arm in and out of existence.

“I don’t quite know. I too am lost. Do you not know the way....there’s somewhere i need to be” the voice asked kindly. It felt like the more John heard it, the warmer inside he felt.

John shook his head. “No- i...i don’t know reall-”, all around him was a sense of paleness and clouds. “I don’t know....i think i was somewhere before, but now i’m....we’re here. I think we’re waiting...”

“Yes...waiting. For him. For me. For you....”

John thought it made sense. Inside it felt real. More real than the swirling clouds or mist that gathers about them and clouded everything else from sight.

“So we’re waiting then. Maybe we should” john shrugged, shoulders disappearing in mist for a moment, “wait together?”

“Yes, that would be wise”

John didn’t know why he felt it, but he knew the other presence was smiling at him. With a face full of cloud and mist he just knew.

They wandered together for a small while, passing in wide births around other shapes that flickered too fast to catch the motion before they faded entirely. Some darker shapes would often appear in the mist but vanish again just as quickly.

“So you mentioned someone...he?” john asked, leaving the question open to the shape.

“Yes, my brother. He never could leave matters alone” The shape pulled closer to him, “He always felt so strongly for me...for his beliefs”

John nodded as if in understanding. Her brother was hard headed and fought for his beliefs with everything he had....sounded like someone. A big red...someone...something?- John shook his head. It clearly didn’t matter.

“He’s waiting for me” the soft voice answered, “I can almost feel him....would you like to see?”

John nodded, not sure if he himself appeared to this shape as it did to him. A blackish masked shape lifted towards his face, hovering and then passing into his mind.

_Wild plants and thorns grown into a small side garden, the leaves golden and brown in their dying age crunched under a storming figures shape._

_...Ah...yes, the brother. Now John could see, and he was sure he’d never seen such fury and rage and ‘hate’ so empowered and visible before. Nuada’s face turned into an angry scowl, “All of this, birthed from the garden of eden-“ he pointed out to the burning wreckage and smoke drifting up at the edges of their kingdom they could see reflected in the tiny ponds water she sat at._

_Although he lowered his head, seeing a similar white face to the prince, this one more softer and kinder in the eyes...it was only in shameful acceptance of knowing humanities faults. “Humans, they have not changed in the centuries i have known them....”_

_“Seems we’re not the only ones-“. John spoke to himself, not thinking the meaning would pass through. The voice that spoke his words was soft and familiar in a heartbreaking way._

_“Yes...Like weeds they pop up and like a new coming of air i will appear each time, taking them down with my lance, cutting the crops so that the lesser of them that grow, the more of our kin will prosper and live”_

_“Come now brother, do you not have a heart for their plights also? Their lives are so much shorter, harder in their weak states and hollow hearts”_

_“They mean as little to me as seeds or grass do to them” Nuada finished in a cutting tone, ending the conversation as his feet carried his image away from the,._

_The face turned back to the water and all at once John could see the two of them. The real them._

_Yes....John could certainly feel the echoes of Nuada’s rage and his plights. His people had suffered dearly as humans had, and Nuala had still asked for peace from an aging king and enraged prince. What was she to do but wait for her brother to calm down...and she’d been waiting ever since._


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know i said near christmas it would be....a couple of days....until the next update. I know its like 2 months/3 months on but....here (Shoves new chapter at readers) I LOVE YOU ALL FOR THE LOVELY COMMENTS. Really they have been the only thing holding me up to finish this. It was a good idea but I'm really struggling towards the end.   
> So thanks guys. 
> 
> Also i think 1 or maybe if i push, 2 more chapters till the END. Wooo

“We need to get the other one, the sister” Genji complained loudly to the room that was now buzzing with activity. Abe had banged into the bed in his haste to get to John, pale hands flailing as he stabilized the agent within seconds. Abe now had time to caress a dark bluish bruise forming on his thigh from his quick action. Genji shook its head at them all.

“What do you mean little one” Nuada asked a few feet away, eyes drawn down in suspicious interest.

“I-...i mean we need her”. Genji continued, undeterred by the people ignoring it. “She’s the care giver. The one who feels all our pain. She’s trying to help john but she needs help as well. When the allfather still ruled, he gave her the title of keeper and she then appointed us the knowledge keepers. The all knowing ones-“

“You mean Nuala” Abe asked, quickly stepping round hellboy and liz, forgetting John entirely for the moment.

“The pale princess, yes. Nua-la” Genji smiled at the end, as if uttering the name brought great comfort and joy.

“Why do you speak her name so?” Nuada asked, voice half shaking in consideration as his stare grew hard. In all his years he had never personally met anyone close to his sister. Nor her him. But there had never been anyone close, only her. He had assumed her kind heart held only love for him and his people, never reaching outside their kingdom to the plights of the other races.

It appeared he’d been mistaken as his sight bared witness to little stick fingers curling into a fist, holding caringly against its chest and pressed over its little heart in wonder and love for his lost sister. The little elf felt much indeed.

“She was....there. Always.” Genjji bowed its little head, ears folding down, “then she was lost...we couldn’t find her. Eventually, the others...they stopped looking. But genji couldn’t stop. Had to find answers...then i saw John. He looked so full of love. Full of life and he listened when genji told him of genji’s past”. Its little arms reached up to the edges of the bed, lifting itself easily up to perch over Johns form.

The room was now silent as the little elf hovered its bony fingers near his face, as if to touch but never reaching that last inch.

“He reminded Genji of the lost princess....but she is no longer lost” Genji quietly said to the room, eyes bright with wonder, staring down at Johns still sleeping face. “Someone special came for her. And Genji is sure-“ Genji turned its head to the room, eyes roaming over them, “-yes. Genji is sure. Mr John is special”.

“Why?!” The prince’s strong voice asked, Nuada scowling at the sleeping human. “He is nothing. He is human-”

“No. He is John. He is someone-and he is special!” Genji half stomped, its ears back to its full height and glaring at the prince.

“How is he special!” It was Liz to push forward, stepping between the two glaring elves.

“Because he was given the gift of a life”, Genji half shouted, its thin body shifting as if it wanted to move but denied abandoning its perch.

Liz’s face crumbled in confusion, pulled tight over disbelief and wonder. “What?”

“Well” Genji recognised it may have over-spoken, “Mr John is special. More so than most. See, he-” it glanced back at john as if afraid he would awaken to tell it off.

“The princess helped a lady human once. She was hurt, so she healed her. But to elves, this type of healing is precious” Genji fiddled with its thing fingers.

“Why would she do that!” Nuada harshly whispered to the little elf.

“Because she wanted to help. But it’s a special healing....and to save a new life...something so small, she gave a small part of herself to it, a fraction of her essence that heals. She did this willingly prince Nuada...she gave it freely”.

As if on cue of the little elfs words Nuada hissed out his anger, back turned to the room as he tried to regroup. Half him now wanted to cut the human into the smallest pieces imaginable, the other wouldn’t dare let harm come to him. He tried to imagine bringing his spear down into the human while he slept, sinking his blade into paled flesh. Ending the cursed machines beeping and the annoying human once and for all.

He had wondered what he’d sensed within the human in his many encounters with him. It was true, Nuada had detected something not quite right, not quite true about him. And all along, it had been Nuala’s doing. Saving a human and leaving an imprint of her magic on him. An imprint of her essence.

If he strained hard enough he could almost feel the warm glow of her...trapped inside a dying human. The blue sapien had insisted that he was getting better, but everyone had noticed the abrupt death whine the machine had made, how unusual it had been. So close to losing her again. But it was only a step before all was well and he had resumed his peaceful sleep, the machine going back to its annoying repetitive beeping.

But he couldn’t. Not now. Perhaps not ever. For to bring harm to him would be to harm his own sister.

A small part of her power, her magic, now flowed through a human. Nuada would have sneered had he not felt the oddness of the two. The touches of emotions that flicked inside him when starting at _– that thing-_ , who meant nothing to him but a target for his spear.

But he meant so much more now. A chance.

“You, Little elf-” Nuada turned back, thankful the room had ignored him mostly as he’d slunk away.

“-Genji!” the little elf corrected him. He tried not to allow his face to twist too much in annoyance, his stance not changing but becoming tighter in restraint.

“Yes....how can he help her when....” Nuada glanced towards the unconscious human, showing how obviously he couldn’t do much of anything.

Genji smiled, little mouth opening on small blunted teeth that were unhealthy looking but straight. “Simple, we need to wake him up”

“erm....Genji, if i may” Abe interrupted, looking pained in doing so. “John’s symptoms resemble that of a coma. For humans, that means they sleep...something for a long time. ”

“Oh genji knows, he’s not sleeping”

Hellboys face turned, frozen in a moment of annoyance and question. “If he aint sleeping then what the hell’s he doing?” he asked, voice hot with confusion and anger that john was still unconscious and pale as death.

“He’s looking” Little genji nodded its head as if that was the simplest and best answer it could give.

“For her?” Liz asked, feeling slightly uneasy about where this was going. John didn’t have the best of luck with magic and his track record for his dealing with supernatural’s were bad. Ranging from ‘well, that thing almost killed me but i survived to oh god he’s in the hospital again’

Genji’s ears flicked hard, whipping up rigid in visual agitation. “I’m...not sure. I think so but-” cutting off on a half angry sigh at itself.

Nuada sighed lightly. It appeared the little elf was not often unsure, and apparently that could mean only bad things to come. Mothers of the earth!- if he had to rely on one unconscious human to revive his sister, or in fact, the occupants of that very room, he was not impressed.

“Perhaps i can be of assistance then...” A new voice asked.

It was hellboy who responded first, pointing his finger angrily at the new presence. “Hey!” he drew, voice growing stronger, “aren’t you supposed to be off base. A vacation or somethin-”

“Yes well. I can’t be gone too long. And its a good thing too”. Manning tucked his hands into his pants pockets, bunching the material as he looked thoughtful into the room. And what a sight it was. He’d have to remember to get the security feed later. He did not imagine the jolt of surprise from hellboy and Nuada. Sneaking up on one demon and a royal elvin prince was going to be one of the many highlights of his career.

“I’ve just returned not 20 minutes ago from having a very...detailed discussion with a lieutenant Jackson. And ah-“ he pulled a very small remote out of his left pocket, tilting it towards one of hellboys misplaced TV’s.

“Oh look, its Mr Jack’s” genji smirked as the screen flickered to life, a video playing of a man now in an orange suit and chained to the table. “He didn’t much like genji calling him that. But he never said to stop- so genji thinks he didn’t much mind”.

“Hmm, yes. I bet he didn’t” was all manning was willing to say on the matter.

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**Video sequence**

“This is a detailed recording of events leading up to project blood seeker. Now lieutenant Jackson, or previous lieutenant” manning’s voice drifted, “you wanted to speak to me about this?”

The tone left no room for negotiating otherwise.

Jackson looked haggard, face drawn down and stubble prickling his cheeks. He didn’t look to be engaging in the apparent interrogation as hoped.

Manning sighed, folding his folder back closed, “Fine. I’d needed not waste my time toda-”

“You don’t know how...special....he is?” a gravelly voice started, Jackson lifting his head to stare at Manning.

“Who?...agent myers. Well, he’s an exceptional agent who does well in keeping hellboy-“

“No. That’s not it. He’s a different kind of special...the odd kind” Jackson prompted, giving a quick violent tug of his chained hands and ringing the metal in the loops.

“How?” Manning asked, eyes now slim in conspiracy.

“It’s his parents fault” Jackson cursed, snapping at his own shoulder as if to bite into his problem. “She was pregnant you see. That’s the problem...she was....pregnant” Jackson laughed at the absurdity of it all.

Manning remained silent, posture leaning back in the chair and showing he wasn’t leaving just yet.

“Myer’s has a history with the BPRD....his parents worked within the ranks, when it was still in its baby stages and... _hopeful_. It was a peace treaty between humans and elves you see. Silly idea really, there’s no reasoning with them savages. But, there was an....accident”.

“Yes, I’ve heard. It happened after you conveniently stumbled onto your first map”. Manning fanned out his jacket as he shifted in his seat, fully knowing how that grueling tale went. “I heard it’s what started...your collection”.

Jackson nodded, happy and impressed with the memory. “Yes, it was. But something happened, an accident....she touched a magical artefact that belonged to the elves....got herself hurt” His voice grew more rough and gravely at remembering. Such a silly little thing and how it had made something amazing and exciting and just what he’d been looking for...for so long.

“She touched it and got hurt” Jackson shook his head, eyes glazed over in remembering. “We were there as a security detail for the head boss back then. She was part of our team but....well, don’t know if I’d be wanting to tell you the rest...not without some insurance” Jackson smirked at manning from across the steel table.

“The only insurance i can give you Jackson”, Manning continued in a bored tone, purposely missing out Jacksons title as it was null and ineffective now. “-is that you will spend the rest of your life in a prison much like the one you had running”. Manning tapped his index finger on the table, tapping three times. “Only it will be better, and it will work...for holding people like you. Of all races”.

Manning stood up and patted himself down, presentable and ready to leave.

“Don’t you wanna hear the rest of the story”. Jackson demanded, tone going half desperate.

“Fine. I have five minutes to spare”, Manning nodded, eyes interested but still standing, showing his eagerness to be gone and how little this interview meant to him.

“Fine...it all started with her and the accident. Lucky for us really, as the princess took to aiding her quite quickly. Her hubby was all in a tizzle with worry for his wife, but it was the princess who helped her. Healed her”. Jackson nodded, “Put her hands to her stomach and used that freaky magic to heal her...but that’s where it all started” he faded into a whisper, eyes losing focus on the memory.

Jackson continued, “See, when them elves use their healing on something that isn’t their race, they have to give up something....something valuable to all but them....life, or a portion of their life force”. Jackson chuckled, “funny really. Elves are immortal...there’s not much that can stop them cept grief-”

Manning arched his left eyebrow, reminding Jackson to continue his story.

Jackson returned the look with a sly smile, “or war....but...the princess healed her, and in turn, used part of her life force. No doubt healing the damage to her unborn child. She didn’t know it at the time, but the princess....her face. She looked like she wanted to tell her something important but couldn’t. Maybe cos we were there. But i didn’t figure it out...not until i met him. Not until i could see how he- he changed things-“ Jackson angrily shook his head at himself.

“I noticed it” Jackson now hunched, growling at the face of the table, “He turned up, and all the freaks started acting up. Think its cos they could sense it in him...the magic. They knew it wasn’t his. Put them off...”

“Excuse me, your saying Mr Myers mother was injured when pregnant with him, that princess Nuala healed her, one of our agents mind, and passed on a portion of her life force to John in the process”.

“Yes...and more”.

Manning arched an eyebrow, signalling him to continue.

“When she came back, she said she felt fine. Took some time off to go on their honeymoon or something. She came back and boom, 2 months in an we get news she pregnant. Had a full check up on her to make sure it wasn’t anything bad. But she tested out fine. Everything was fine. She quit soon after to look after the baby. But-“ Jackson shook his head, eyes dragging along the surface of the steel table and not liking what he saw.

“But...heard a couple years later bout another accident. They’d left the kid with his brother and went out for a night...didn’t come back from the car accident. Shame...good agents. Both of em”.

Manning leant forwards now, hands branching out either side of the table and staring holes into Jackson as he receded back into his chair. “What did you have planned for agent Myers!” he asked in a rough threatening voice. He didn’t have to raise it much for Jackson to respond.

“Nothing bad!- i swear it. It was the maps!- I only wanted him to help with the maps-” his eyes swung around the room as if to hunt for one of his many paper treasures. Over the years people had called him fanatic and insane about his collection but...he had to collect them. They were history; they were the only treasure that meant anything to him. The answer to old questions even creatures thousands of years older than him sought.

“-And!-” Manning’s tone was growing sharper.

“I couldn’t get close to him. Every time me or my men came within range something drastic happened. Was like everything was turning against us. He came back from that end of world mission and it only got worse” he shook his head at it all.

“So i tried a new way. The men had tracked down a stray elf. One of the little ones....something about them being knowledge keepers or hoarders- i don’t know. First tried to see what it knew bout the maps, how they all linked up...but-” he shrugged. “No good. So i buttered the little thing up, fed it a tale of grandeur and hope” he laughed, “and suddenly I had an answer to my problems...see” he lent forwards to manning who was glaring down at the him.

“When trouble starts happening around Myers, so long as it’s not a human involved, it tends to turn on him. I had one of my -ehem- previous men test it out. ‘Fredrick Utler’ god rest his soul. Poor guy couldn’t hide the game, got antsy in front of some supernatural’s he was guarding with Myers and got himself ate”.

“But the little elf”, he wagged his finger as if he’d found something lucky, “perfect little blood hound. Sent it along to John to check and see if his blood was as polluted as we figured but well...damn thing never came back with an update”. He shrugged, “lucky really we had a tracker put on it”

“So, the plan failed” manning stated in a bland tone, “the project failed”.

Jackson’s eyes looked murderous but he seemed to know when to behave. If Manning’s posture of authority was anything to go by, it would seem Jackson wouldn’t come out of it too healthy.

“That’s it for now. We’ll have this put to record and it will go into your file. ” manning scooped up anything he’d left on the table and exited the room in a rush, the door snapping shut behind him.

Too bad for Jackson he was still being recorded as he chuckled to himself saying, “No, not yet. Not over yet”

**End of video sequence.**

Liz was faintly simmering as the video cut out, the air swaying as if in a breeze around her. “Abe-” her voice shook with withheld emotion.

“Right” Abe lent around her, hands hovering wide over Genji who only stared at the hand in its face as if waiting for an explanation. Abe’s aha was quickly answer enough, flicking off a small tag the size of a button on genji’s clothes.

“So” Genji asked, “did he not like me?”

Liz’s face scrunched up, contemplating how to describe manipulation and disregard that some humans used to get what they wanted.

“He used you little one. To get to him” Nuada’s tone stated either way of how he felt. But his expression was one he always wore when around humans, annoyed and regal.

“Thankfully we were able to catch onto what was going on before it could get...any more out of hand” Manning added in, moving further into the room.

Genji nodded, ears bobbing as if it was a hard task, and then its little face broke into a wide grin. “Genji’s see’s....its why it didn’t work”

“What didn’t work” Manning asked, face blank.

“The orb” Nuada stated, side eying manning as if he was a disease he could likely catch. “The soul container. It slowly consumes souls until it can claim another. He was trapped within it....but there was a touch of another soul present within him. It could not consume both, so it withheld him until he received his...injury”.

“Genji, what can we do to help him now?” Liz asked, voice carrying over the room.

“Mr John has gone seeking, he walks his own path. We cannot interfere. Mr John needs to wake up. We need the sister-”

“Yes” Abe sprang forward, hand shaking as he extended it to the little elf, “Yes, Nuala, we can get her. Bring her here. She’s close by”.

Hellboy smirked, shrugging his shoulders as he followed a harried Abe out the room, “Guess that’s the plan. Lets get the princess here then”.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE LAST CHAPTER- i'm free....*crazed laugh* i've finally finished it. I can now move on. *ascends to heaven* lol more like *falls into hell laughing hysterically*

Chapter 30

“Nuala?” John called into the fog, her shape shifting until he could barely make her out.

“I’m here”, the soft voice whispered weakly.

 _She’s fading!-_ Johns mind supplied and he did the only thing he could- grabbed at her. He didn’t expect to pass through, and he didn’t. He hit a solid shape, struggling to hold on as it fought back, ebbing between his fingers like smoke and trying to evaporate but he didn’t let go, concentrating on holding the hand until finally, slender fingers appeared.

In fact, the harder he looked, the more he could make out. An arm began to morph into shape, loose clothing draped over it and flowing like water in texture.

“Nua-aaaAAHHhhh” John fell, screaming in agony or a version of it as everything ripped apart, the fog tearing back and something like a void in his chest reared into existence, filling up. His breath stuttered and he feared for a second it would stop, before his heart thudded hard like one final blast against his ribs before it settled.

He was sweating, head hot and heavy as he rolled it against something soft. Trying to make out what was happening, what had happened and what he’d been doing, his bleary vision cast out to a familiar room. His room, or was it the library. Where Abe had last been talking about his scroll and-

A white shape moved directly into sight, towering and emitting a haze of dread. John turned his face away, unable to bear looking.

It hurt to look.

“John!- Squirt!” A loud voice called, drawing closer with each word. John swivelled his head back, the urgency of it too much. All he saw was red...redness and a broad shape rushing at him.

John flailed in terror, swinging his hands about to keep it at bay. “No! Stay back- get away!” his mumbled, and then shouted as his strength slowly came back. It was like he was waking up from a dream...a horrible dream.

Nuada scowled weakly, wondering of this human’s mentality. True he had undergone some, traumas in the past...some at his own hand-those most recent but-

A quick motion had him jerking his head to the side, missing the flower vase with those lovely yellow plants inside that he had come to approve of. A fitting name, ‘sun flowers’. A particle trait of the suns beauty held within such lovely vibrant petals. Seeing them thrown and dashed against the wall by the recent awakened human had him stepping back to let the fire goddess talk as she rushed forward to control the situation.

Perhaps all humans reacted like this when waking up. If so he did not want to see the lady Liz awaken...

A strange thing happened upon the human fully seeing the red demon, his face clearing of all colour, and all at once he was grabbing each one of the many flower pots and throwing them about, at the demon, at nuada... but never at the fire goddess. She was spared his terror stricken state, his wild and overpowering fear of the strange creatures in his room.

“John stop!- its red-“ Abe rushed forwards to try and calm his old friend, hands hovering near the terror stricken man.

“No get back. Its a demon- come for me-NO” John shouted, ignorant of his wounds as fear gave way to deep striking terror that had his panting against his bed when all but one remained as his last weapon.

“John....” a new voice rose over the noise without the need for shouting. It cut through the commotion and stilled the room’s occupants.

John blinked, the haze slipping away from his eyes as he seemed to wake up more. “...abe-Nu-“ he stuttered.

“Nuala...”A once strong voice shook with emotion as Nuada glided to the next bed, now occupied by a pale and still princess but...she was alive.

“Yes brother”, she wheezed happily, genji trailing happily towards her bed and then diverting to Johns at Nuada’s death glare.

“Nuala” John expressed in a voice of wonder, seeming to let the pot slip out his hands to genji, who plucked it up and seated it back at the edge of his table.

But she had only eyes for her brother at the moment. Her face was full of pain, troubled for her brother as his face finally slipped into misery and relief.

“I felt him brother...in the darkness. He’d come for me. As my guide” she whispered, hand folded lovingly over the princes, “but he too got lost in wandering so far. I fear i did not want him lost...so i offered my hand to guide him back as he did for me”. She smiled in self shame, face tucked down for a moment and eyes softening, “But... I could not find my way alone...i needed a light within deaths darkness”.

“But why?” Nuada looked confused...pained even, that she had been the one to bare this. _Why not me-Why a human of all things._

“Oh brother”, she sighed as a smile lifted her slack face; “I really do pity you for your blind rage. If only you could see-“

She looked at john and smiled as if he’d hung the stars. “He is very blinding in the dark”

John felt his face burn red in mortification as Nuada raged a silent storm across the plains of his, angry that another had provided his sister with the support he should have rightly given.

But it didn’t matter, she was here. He’d brought her here. Pulled her back towards life as his body had dragged him most of the journey back.

There she was.... skin like pale wax and face wash in death likeness. But she was here...she was with him in the real world. He could see her, eyes hardening as she took him in with understanding filled eyes that have only ever been dull now burned in knowing.

A voice like a sigh and whisper escaped from her mouth, face pale and hands limp yet still her eyes held him in awe, strong in their determination to _see_ him.

“Oh...john” she stopped, taking in a needed breath, her throat clicking as she swallowed with dryness. “How i have waited to see you again” she looked physically hurt by the time taken to get to the now. For them to finally be here.

 _Again?_ John let Abe pat him down, coax him to lie back and rest. He could feel how truly he was tired. So much so that it was hard to watch anything else but Nuala in her bed. Neither of them looked to be moving anytime soon.

“I felt you once...once when you were so small and little” she continued in a voice of whispers, “when you were but a seed in your mother’s womb, growing....i felt you”.

John nodded even though he didn’t know what she meant, but it felt right. She felt right...it all felt right, for once.

“Oh how i have longed to see your eyes” she continued, eyes drifting shut in wonder. “And they are beautiful”.

“All of you. I could-” her voice broke in heart break, at having drawn John to her dying presence, “I could feel you. See into you. Even back then, i could feel you in the stars, in the atoms and particles you humans call space” she stopped to catch her breath, but she was smiling. “i could feel a small galaxy of life inside you. You were so small...but i felt it. I felt you burning so brightly like you wanted to live...and i couldn’t let you go. Your light, it was so beautiful”.

“I...i think i felt you too”, John rasped back, throat trying to close up over the words even as they spilled this true out to the room. It was as close to talking about his special self than he’d ever come.

“Yes” she finished, eyes now closing in blessed peace as she kept her face turned to him, as if she could not bear to turn away, sleep taking her before she could make the conscious choice.

His face felt wet.

A blob of white appeared further down near his chin and he quickly glanced down, genji’s small hand pushing a tissue to his face to mop it.

John squinted as memories flooded back, remembering the small room Johnson had taken him to when Nuada had escaped, the surveillance room. The one that had a camera pointed at-

“Red-hellboy!” John gasped, trying to sit up. A pale hand appeared, pushing him down easily and preventing him from rising anymore. He allowed it, gasping past the echoes of pain, “the cameras!...the corridor!-They’ll know”.

Genji smirked, hand raised as if to answer Johns question. “I know Mr Myers....I fixed it”

“wha...” he could be allowed the blunder of his speech, groggy and tired. “what’dyou mean gen....” he sighed, worn out. Sitting up had been a bad idea. He felt zapped of all his strength.

“The camera’s watching them” Genji’s little head bobbed, “I fixed it. They’ll be watching reruns of agents coming and going for a few more hours”. Genji smiled, proudly looking up at Liz who also seemed far too impressed at the little elf.

“Its not really my place to say, you need to talk to Manning when he gets back” Liz glanced away, trying to hide a secret that she didn’t want john to guess.

“Li-“ was as far as he got before a rolling sensation had him falling into the darkest of sleep. Full of nothing but blackness and peace...uninterrupted.

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He’d opened his eyes a few times, catching Nuala as she slipped in and out of sleep, her brother a constant presence at her side, peaceful for once. But for one special time, he wasn’t there. They were alone.

“John” she whispered, growing stronger every hour but no way near strong enough to get up out of bed yet. Neither of them were, but it was ok. The beds had been pushed close enough together that her wavering hand only needed to float in his direction for him to grab hold.

She was cold.

Her skin felt wrinkled and dry and old...but John knew it would get better. She was filling with life, but it was her eyes that gave him the most hope. They were so....full. Full of wonder and hope and _love_ for him. It was painful in a nice way, like his heart was so heavy with love and awe of her and her of him that it flowed openly between them.

“It was worth it”.

“Hmm?” John asked, confused at her random words.

“You. You were worth it. Even after it all....all this time”. She smiled happily to herself; a look of accomplishment if he dared say so.

John had been told of what had happened, had even been shown the tape, so all he could say was. “Thanks...i guess” in an awkward manner that still managed to grab a widening smile off her.

“Would you like to know what it was like...when i first saw your essence...”she asked lightly.

He nodded, feeling his inside twist and turn in anguish yet excitement. Surely it must have been good enough for her to have reached out and saved him when he was but a developing shape inside his mother.

“It was like....so many stars. A galaxy. All that life twinkling, and bright. You were ready to start living, to start, and it hurt to see your light fading so quickly. I was rushing to her aid before I fully understood. But it was my choice. Once i was there, I decided you were worth it. And you are John. Because now-“Her smile became soft, touched in blessed relaxation and a sense of contentment.

“I couldn’t forget the galaxy of life inside you. It has grown so much. You almost hurt my eyes to look at with how bright you shine”.

How was john to respond to something like that? Someone royal, of an entire other race, speaking so open and lovingly about how much john was...how he had brought them hope in a dark moment. John didn’t mind if anyone gave him crap later at how he’d instantly fought the response to cry, shoulders shaking as he gripped her smaller hand, a hand that didn’t let go but drew his palm tight, like a promise.

They’d stayed like that, the prince surprisingly absent. He’d appeared briefly but had only been a outline in the doorway before leaving again.

When he’d woken again later, someone had dried his face. He ignored who it might have been, as genji had gone with liz in sorting out the camera’s when tec had found out what they’d done. Apparently all was well on that front and John was so tired he hadn’t stayed awake for the full explanation.

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Sleep however, was not to be for long. But a few hours later he’d opened his eyes for a few moments that had prompted his apparent wakefulness, which had begun the tests. Two doctors had started with tapping at his chest, telling him to breathe into all sorts of machines and running devices over his skin. Thankfully none took blood samples.

All this with a silent hovering Hellboy and Manning. Manning nodded in greeting, standing at the foot of John’s bed, “Agent Myers”.

“Sir!-” John gaped, hand rising as if to salute and yet it was unneeded. Manning was the director and if he felt disrespected he’d let you know. Often.

“Its quite alright agent. I’ve been informed of your mission progress, great stuff I’ve been hearing-”, Manning bobbed his head to the very thin folder in his hands.

“...Sir?” John chose to ignore the grin splitting hellboys face for now.

“Undercover work in breeching **Lieutenant Jackson detainment facility”. Manning explained as if it was common sense and he was merely updating Myers on a mission.**

**“Sir?...i thought that was a transfer to a prison-”**

**“It was” Manning conceded, “But it’s not his personal playground to be rounding up-”, Manning halted as if nervous of how his next words would be taken, “ _Innocent supernatural’s_ ”.**

**John nodded along anyway, unsure of where Manning was going with the conversation. The usual feeling really in all Johns experiences.**

**“Hmm yes” Manning opened up his folder, licked his finger and flicked past the first page to stare intently down at it. “Yes, we’re looking into a new peace treaty with the elves” Manning nodded to himself as if he was blandly reading the words right off the paper, voice dull yet thoughtful.**

John’s mouth opened to gape like a fish at the director, not knowing if he was even allowed to interrupt and how it involved him. Usually it did involve him, usually it was also bad- and if he could get out of it-

“Yes. You’ve been elected as the spokesman for this little gathering” Manning looked up, face at ease as if he’d solved a problem.

“Sir, i don’t think I’d be the best choice. Aren’t there some other agents more skilled and qualified in dealing with such...political matters-” John tried to reason.

“Nonsense. You’re the best man for the job. Of course other agents want in on getting a peace treaty signed. But let me be clear....i picked you because i want you”, Manning jabbed the folder half heartedly at John, who’s eyebrows rose at the act.

“I want you to deal with this matter. Your parents were involved in a peace treaty but sadly it had a few hiccups. So now it’s your turn” Manning let it sink in, voice level. “We need you to do this for us Myers. A lots ridding on this, so what do you say?”

“...thank you sir” John replied weakly, earning him a content smile from his boss. He hated his life.

He hated hellboys shit eating grin more. This could only end badly.

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“How’s Nuala?” John asked with a quiet smirk on his face.

Abe fluttered his hands as he erratically tried to convey her good health and his glowing appearance as he swept forward, hands swaying close to John as if to try and embrace him but unsure if he’d allow it. Truthfully John felt like he’d went 10 rounds with hellboy, but...being kidnapped, stabbed and then dragging an elvin soul back to life had taken a lot out of him. He allowed a brief hug if only to see a new spark of joy in Abe’s eyes. They’d been rare in the past....but now-

Nuala had rejuvenated the sad sapien and awakened his broken heart. Even though it was strange for two entirely different races to be so attached, together....they were right.

They glowed when they smiled at each other; faces turned half on a slant as if they could not bear to turn away from the other. It was beautiful and John felt too warm inside when he witnessed these moments. Blessedly often moments.

But it was Nuada they’d seen the biggest change in. With John, he’d taken to tolerating his presence, even shadowing him when he’d just had enough of hellboy and the prince death glaring each other. Nuada even took to bulling John when he neglected food, demanding John to control his stomach’s growling during their meetings. Only meetings was more, following John everywhere. Having a moment to eat had not been high on John’s list as it had been replaced with the thought, _oh god please don’t stab me in the back, i just need to finish this report._

No matter how many times John told Nuada he needed time to himself, he was the ruler’s advisor, and John was, sadly, the negotiator in the treaty. And there was much to be discussed.

After Nuala had awoken, the elven clan, children of the earth, had risen with her. She had been appointed ruler, having advised the king for so long. She’d been there, through all their troubles, had been the ear they spoke into when trying to talk sense to the king and now, after it all, they had turned to her willingly as their new ruler.

There had never before been a daughter of the earth to lead the clan, and so Nuala was appointed the first daughter, first female of their clan to ever rule.

Nuada had seemed distressed at first, but had not challenged her. He was still answering for past transgressions and his clan would not stand by him should he force his rule. So he became an advisor.

Thankfully John was spared most of his wrath, as it payed to have a shared magical essence of life with the ‘elected’ ruler of the elves now. Nuala was doing wonders in keeping the peace as her advisor of a brother tried to inform her of how she should treat humanity. The term, at arm’s length or preferably at spears length away suited Nuada’s tastes, but not hers thankfully.

A new peace was in the making, having shared some of Nuala’s magic, he was not fully classed as human by the elves and so his words seemed to be enough most days to stop the elves from declaring war. Hellboy didn’t help matters, turning up in his coat and guns and cowboying his way into every meeting.

Manning had promised at least once a week John would get peace from the red demon...and he did. Only now his time was divided between doing his job, and negotiating new rules and regulations being set up to protect the races.

But the best thing of all, was genji.

Little Genji, the outcast to its own race had flourished under Nuala’s guidance. At first, little genji had followed her everywhere, gaining small smiles off the princess for its trouble. And yet there was the most perfect, loving sight on the little elf’s face whenever Nuala asked for information or guidance on a matter concerning other races.

The little elves became their title. The all knowing ones. A long line of advisors to the ruler. Although Manning was sorting out their ranking system with the bureau now that John had asked for some to be implemented. Abe couldn’t be the only one they turned to for information now that he was royal consort. Hellboy had laughed himself blue in the face when he’d found out.

Nuala had taken to having a small section of their extended kingdom made into a home sanctuary for them. Small sections of enchanted forest pooled together to create a new kingdom for the elves so they’d not need to live in conditions that were detrimental to their health.

Humanity would see that these forests were protected. No hunting. No entering unless invited, no interfering. A kingdom for the elves that humanity would preserve, as part of the treaty.

Nuada had not had anything to say on the matter. John had enough of a headache with hellboy constantly following him around in a apologetic manner to deal with anything else.

John no longer needed to worry about crowded corridors as between the two supernatural’s shadowing him; they cleared like a swift wind. It was annoying but at least John got around base a lot quicker.

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2 months later

John would rather save a life than take it...and he’d done both for Nuada of all beings. Going out on trips with the BPRD had been one of his....rehabilitation techniques.

The men had feared for their lives until Nuada had slain a few beasts that had wanted them for dinner.

But, John had finally run into the elusive Rambo bill when investigating one of Jackson hidden troves. They’re went in, found some interesting things, and had most of it pack up and going back to base before the trouble had started...mainly bill.

Hidden away and stashing as many weapons on his person as he could, he’d kicked open a small compartment and met John and Nuada as they were ready to leave, armed to the tooth with small guns and knives.

Bill had rushed Nuada, gun ready and aimed as he ploughed forwards to take a shot at Nuada’s back. Only it wasn’t as graceful pictured as Bill would have thought. Making enough noise for Nuada to easily predict his next move and sweep down with his lance, thankfully not cutting off both of Bills legs as he swept them out from under him, landing on his face with an angry elf arched above him for the killing blow.

“Nuada don’t. You cant kill him. They’ll send you right back to jail”, John warned, “remember the treaty!-”

“I know of my duty!” Nuada raged, “Do you all forget yours!” Part of said treaty was...elves would deal with elves...humans with humans. If one wronged the other, then each had a say in how the punishment would fit the crime.

John sighed, slightly out of breath, “Yes. I do. And it’s making sure you don’t ignore your oath” He secretly hoped today was not the day Nuada snapped and finally killed him. He looked just about ready.

His oath, yes. One of peace. One made in wonder and joy to feel the soft skin on the back of his sister’s hand as she lay recovering. To see her _try_ to smile warmly and encourage him she was getting better as he sat at the edge of her bed each day and night, face blank and eyes full of his worry and fear of losing her again.

His spear made to touch the stupid human’s throat before he decidedly pulled back before it could make contact and swung away from the fallen man. Such pathetic emotions and encounters were beneath him. He was a prince, and he would have to start acting like the royalty his race needed.

Yes he would be feared, he would fight, and he would demand respect. But as long as humans kept to their agreement...he would agree not to kill. Broken oaths and agreements were what started this-

He glanced up at the annoying human, ready to direct one of his meanest stares- but he looked odd. Eyes near bulging as his hand floated down in slow motion to his sidearm and pulled out his gun, a motion he must have practice many times before for it to be so flowing.

Nuada felt his intention.

And it was not good.

The bang did not come before the bullet but still made his ears ring with the loudness of it.

He felt the bullet pass by him, felt it stroke along a few strands of his hair as if to give it a yearning caress as it passed by. Rushed by really, past his head, past his sensitive ears and part of his hair and back...further back. Towards the man with the gun, who’d been so enraged by being bested he’d erupted off the floor and aimed his gun at Nuada’s turned back. A cowards last attempt...and the last thing he’d do in his life, as without turning, Nuada knew his humans mark had been true.

The dull thunk of the bullet hitting home, shortly followed by a heavier sound of a body dropping brought a true smile to the princes face.

Nuada turned his most coy smile on the human, eager to see how he would react now. And react he did. Agape he stood in wonder of his own actions. Frozen by what he’d done to protect what he’d promised. This human continued to surprise and impress Nuada for his uphold of the treaty and his word. Noble. Honest. Not well know human traits. But there none the less.

“Are you ok?!” John asked too loudly, face flushed and hands now beginning to shake as he held his lowered gun. He’d just killed a man. One of his own in fact. Killed a man to save his sometimes tormenter from certain death. John wished he could say he was confused...but it felt right, for once.

Not the killing, but the saving.

“Yes. Although i could have dealt with it myself” Nuada huffed happily, unconcerned how joyful he was smiling over the death of a human. John rolled his eyes at him, turning away as other agents flocked forwards in dealing with the situation. Thankfully John wasn’t about to be arrested or imprisoned thanks to being part of the whole ‘peace bond treaty’ whatnot.

“If you like i could teach you to use a _real_ weapon” Nuada pointedly spoke into Johns left ear, making his heart leap into his throat. Nuada had been 30 feet away and had crossed the gap in a few seconds on silent feet. Damn elf.

“No thank you Nuada. I’ll still be saving your ass with this little chunk of metal a few more times before you no doubt return the favour”. John waved the gun up at the air and tucked it back into its holster.

Nuada arched a knowing brow at John, who rolled his eyes. Ok, if they’d really been counting John still had to save Nuada at least 5 more times before it evened out.

A hand grabbed his wrist, tugging him towards another direction, the tunnels before John could make it towards the doors and waiting cars. That was another perk of being in touch with magic, the touch of an elf. John could feel it through his shirt sleeve and jacket.

The tingling heat and promising flow of life. It was lovely and Nuada seemed to know, using it often to get his way in arguments that had ended up with Hellboy destroying 2 of his older tvs and proclaiming favouritism.

“You forget that behemoth I stopped before it could trample you” Nuada said, still leading him deeper and away from the other agents. John tried to tug his arm free and felt the light indent of nails, a threat should he try to get out of the grip.

John sighed, “yes, I remember enough before you landed on me. Too bad you knocked me out in the progress”. Nuada’s sly smirk back told John that no matter how many times Nuada had said it had been unintentional, he still found it amusing that John had broke his fall.

“...you are not completely useless” Nuada pulled him to a stop in a very unremarkable room, the walls bland and small groups of paper stacked about.

“...thanks...i guess” John glanced nervously back around, trying to see if Nuada was looking for something sharp he could say John had _fell_ on.

“For a human” John turned back and had he moved more of an inch, would have collided with Nuada’s face. He stopped dead, unsure if this was one of his many tricks he liked to play. Everything Nuada did seemed to have two meanings. John wasn’t sure he liked it since he could never tell what _they_ were.

The royal mark, a scar like line across the top of Nuada’s nose was prominent, but it was the eyes that made Johns mind question his sanity. Parts of gold and yellow entwined. The lines of the iris individually pieces as if each one had a specific place to be. The gold so strong and yellow dulled next to its shine yet contrasting perfectly.

John knew what Nuada was seeing when he looked down at him now, bland but clear pale skin and clean shaved face. Eyes that were more green that brown in tones and a nervous expression as he didn’t know if he was about to be stabbed or was merely being investigated by the prince.

“....the scoll” Nuada spoke softly, staring so deep into him he seemed lost.

“...i...what?” John asked, trying to sway back for some room and yet seeming to not move at all.

On queue Nuada reached past his right hip, pulling a round bluish paper from the wall, holding it up to Johns face.

“What is it?” John let himself glance at it, eyes shooting back and forth between the two.

“A map”

John’s brows drew down in understanding, but Nuada continued now he knew they were on the same page.

“All the maps that human had been collecting...they were of the kingdoms. Or one whole kingdom. Once upon a time...we were everywhere, lived everywhere, every supernatural was ruled under my father. Each kingdom so large-” he held up the paper, “that maps were used to hold account of our lands”.

The ‘ _until humans came’_ went unsaid. John nodded, glancing towards the wall, his breath suddenly catching. It was filled with papers.

“We should take this back to Nuala. Let genji and the others take a look and see if they can work this all out”.

“No need”. Nuada said, pulling loose some papers from the opposite wall. When John turned back to him, he was smirking.

Like John was the answer all along. John hid an embarrassed smile behind the edge of his jacket collar. His sense of knowing hadn’t gone away after Nuala had come back. He’d know the right order it was all meant to go in.

John huffed, happily turning back to wall and not even jumping when Nuada snuck up on him to start taking the papers down off the wall. Being a royal brat meant he found pleasure in making John jump but also being prideful and territorial over things.

Nuada coveted very little. His love for his sister, protecting his race and their history, and keeping john on his toes. His constant need for attention could contribute to how often John came back from other departments to find Nuada camped in his previously secure and locked office.

If John left him to glare at him from his couch then Nuada let him do his reports.

It was very peaceful....harmonious even....

Well....as harmonious as you can get while being on a team that fights supernatural threats, teamed with a super intelligent sapien, a demon who was to bring about the apocalypse, a walking pyro with a temper but kind heart and now a royal prince with a superiority complex.

John just hoped his heart lasted him until age 50 at this rate.

END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for ur lovely support and even more amazing comments. Finally finished this. But- i will no doubt write another story, but this is it for this fic. So thanks again. I loved u all since u pushed me to finish it. 
> 
> Give urselves the biggest high five and hardest hugs cos ur all awesome


	31. VERY LAST CHAPTER

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all asked for this so i make no promises that it will be good. This is the very last chapter to an already finished story cos i needed to add some love for the pairing. 
> 
> (Not beta read. Honestly when is any of my work ever beta read)

It started really, with Genji. And fruit-this time. But John wasn’t going to be blaming the fruit.

Genji, who had acquired a very rare and...Illegal fruit plant.

John had been greeted by the small elf who’d popped into existence in his room, a pathetic and small room that had a bed and small cabinet in with an even smaller on suite bathroom.

John had accepting all this due to its availability to the library. With no Abe to do quick dabbles of research, John had simply been tired of being woken at all hours and being asked for answers that only the library could provide.

But genji, sweet little genji who had pushed a small basket up to John and proclaimed it a gift. As John was asking what it was, genji had smiled wide, waved and with a sharp twist had vanished again.

John had been left slack jawed as his room’s alarm started blaring, detecting the intruder too late.

A few seconds had passed before Nuada had appeared at his door, spear raised up near his head to attack the intruder. He was greeted by a confused John and a plant.

When agents had started pouring into Johns ‘already small’ room, Nuada had plucked the plant up and brought it out into the library to explain what it was.

The name had been very long and one that human tongues could not pronounce if you went by Nuada’s cursing of humanity again. R&D had took it down to the labs where they’d concluded the fruit so ripe it would send you into a diabetic coma within minutes if you ingested just one.

John had been able to hustle out all the agents, now that Genji was gone and no one could find anything. Nuada had remained; spear perched across his legs and one of the fruits in his hand. John would ask how he got it but he had been the first to touch the thing.

It was a strange looking thing, twisted at the centre but fat like a pear and pale purple with tiny dimples in the texture. Nuada had bit into it easily, the sound like an apple and chewing wet sounding.

“Why would you resist something so sweet” Nuada asked, voice pitched low with _too_ many meanings for John to deal with right that instant.

“Because- sweet fruits are often bitter when u get to the centre”

“You clearly have not tasted the right ‘fruit’ then” Nuada said, face smug with hidden meaning. John was glad he chose to walk away from that. Nuada was most dangerous when he used that smile.

His _I know something you don’t know and its probably gonna kill you while I watch_. Probably a _Ha ha_ thrown in for good measure. John went back to his poor trampled but thankfully now empty room to go _finally_ to sleep.

......

John let out a loud sigh, hands falling to his hips to try and hold himself up. The mission had almost been a failure. And they’d nearly lost Nuada to a sea monster.

Johns improvised pillar collapse had nearly crushed himself as well, but thankfully it had allowed Nuada a chance for a quick kill, and he’d taken it. He’d also dragged John back to the surface just in time too.

John had been trapped under the pillar, his foot stuck at an odd angle and keeping him just out of reach of the surface. A pale face had appeared for a moment before something inhumanly strong had grabbed his arm and dragged him up, his foot slipping free as if to not cause a bother and John had been left spluttering, nodding to signal he was ok.

Nuada had not been pleased. He’d at least thankfully waited till they were back in the library before

“You stupid human” Nuada raged, now storming up to John, “-have u no mind or thought of others”

John stood his ground, head held high to copy Nuada’s stance, “I do. That’s why I did it”

“I don’t understand” Nuada now looked confused _and_ pissed off. Best to explain quickly then. But John was still feeling sore from the mission and pissed off over ‘again’ being questioned by Nuada.

“Well. It’s entirely a human trait....so I’m not surprised”.

“What? Pride?” Nuada scoffed, attempting to say more. No doubt continue to insult humanity and John alike.

“You would know a lot about pride- no. I mean our....as you say- hollow heart. The holes in our hearts are big enough to fill with kindness and a need to protect the things we let inside them”. John hoped his voice hadn’t shook, cos he was sure he’d fought off the quiver at the end.

“People....elves....even demons- we can look at it and see their traits- not just their appearance” John felt his mouth twitch, a mockery of a smile and turned sour with remembrance of hellboy.

Nuada seemed to understand his reference. “All that red demon will bring is death and destruction to your world”.

“So far he hasn’t” John shrugged. “May not be now or later- but for now I will show that i have his back, same as you” John indicated with his head, hoping Nuada was getting the message. “I look after him, and i won’t leave him to die and i won’t stand by if evil should decide to take hold of him-”

“-You’ll have no say in the matter” Nuada had lost his anger, all the fight falling away to a resigned fate, like he’d had no say in a similar situation in the past.

John knew all about that sadly but he let his sad smile show, watching Nuada stare at it and find whatever meaning he was looking for. “Then I’ll just have to do what humans do best....become a pest to whatever plagues him”.

“...Do not-”Nuada started, tone edging towards enraged again.

“I will Nuada” John cut across him, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you want to hear. But I made it a promise. You guys don’t go out there alone. I’m with you or someone else from the team. I can’t let you face these things alone. I can’t-” he shrugged helplessly. “It’s just not in me”

Nuada stared him down, glaring as if to drill his own meaning and words into Johns head, but after a few minutes he’s rapidly turned, disappearing out the room as silent and quick as he’d come.

John sighed again, unzipping his coat and throwing it into a corner of the library as he made his way over to his newly stationed desk. Already there was a thick folder waiting for him. His life was just the best....

....

“You’re pale” A quiet voice said from 2 feet away, startling John so badly he cleared the edge of his desk of papers. Oh well, one problem at a time.

Nuada stood on the other side, staring down at him but not adding any more insults like he usually would.

John sighed, rubbing the skin between his eyes to ease the tension there. “You always say th-“

“No. More so. Now so”. Nuada had moved when John wasn’t looking, now on his side of the desk.

Pale hand turned his chin to look up, wrapped around the edges of his jaw. Long pale fingers closing gently to hold his head still so Nuada could stare down at him.

Keeping his head tilted at that angle was making John slightly dizzy, considering he’d been ready to fall asleep at his desk again. “Nuada?”

“Be still. Let me look at you” was all Nuada said, not allowing John to pull away.

Johns brain stuttered back to life weakly. _I did not hear those words. I couldn’t have heard Nuada say that!_ \- he thought.

“Here” A pale finger ran down the edge of his cheek, skin growing cold from the path it took and then not, his face flushing with new heat. John knew if he so much as thought of it as a caress Nuada would read his definition on his face and there might be sharp instruments invol-

“Here” Words breathed against his cheek, warm and moist and Nuada was right there, edged up close to him. His hand still wrapped around his jaw and the only point needed to hold john still.

He was arched in his chair, neck now fully exposed and his head tilted back as his heart rocketed against his ribs. He wanted to ask what- but he couldn’t get the words to crawl up his dry throat.

When the hand fell, dragging down his jaw and down the column of his neck, John knew something was happening but his brain had packed it bags and gone to live with its mother.

“Nua-“ he croaked, his chair turning to take the strain from his neck and put the princes features right in front of him. Literally right in front of him, the prince perched low and leaning towards him with cloaked eyes.

“Hmmm” Nuada replied, again breath puffing Johns cheek but he was no longer staring at Johns cheek, his eyes running down and following his hand that now sat cradled at the base of Johns throat, at the opening of his shirt.

John let him mouth fall open as he stared. He couldn’t work out- well anything- but especially what that look meant. He knew what he felt. Warm, exposed, open like a book for Nuada to sit down to read at his leisure.

“John...if things were different. I just want you to know that this,” Nuada whispered, his breath barely touching Johns face, “would never have been a possibility”.

“What?” John felt half stupid with all the heat and blood rushing through his body, fighting for which direction it should go, up or down. His face felt red hot and his chest couldn’t expand wide enough for much needed air.

Nuada was known to reply to stupid questions by physicality. And he did, but never in such a way before.

Teeth and soft lips dragged roughly over John’s mouth for a second before it was just teeth. They scraped, pulling at his lips and he gasped, shocked and well, no one could blame him to say his brain at that moment had just broke.

Then it was hot and wet and-

John grabbed at Nuada’s arm, the one holding him gently by the throat and pulled, drawing Nuada in with ease like it was where he wanted to be all along. To have John be the one needing and pulling and desperate.

His chair dropped back and Nuada directed them, following the pull and leading John back to the wall, clashing with it. Johns back gave little protest when everything else felt so good. Hell, he hardly felt it when Nuada was pressed from knee’s to shoulders, body flush against his. Neither of them let go, grabbing and pulling to get closer when no more room could be giving, half crazed to climb into each other.

Nuada pulled back his head, both of them swaying with the motion. Be he resisted the tug to return to the kiss, head poised like a viper, angling where next to strike.

John was gasping like a mad man, chest heaving like he’d just come up from air and god, Nuada looked perfectly posed.

“Hmm, I like that” Nuada’s voiced, like silk and chocolate and sin. “Your eyes” he finished, noting how black and wide John’s pupil had gone to only have a slim ring of colour around it. He watched the confusion crease Johns face before he pushed back in; mouth set to conquer John’s and condemn him.

John didn’t need asking twice. It was like a switch that had been looked at for years, touched once or twice but never really used. And then Nuada had kissed him and it was like someone had taken a meaty fist and slammed the switch on full power. His lips tingled and his jaw ached but gods nothing could stop him except-

John felt a sharp tug on his jacket and down he went, Nuada controlling his fall onto the odd looking bed. He briefly tossed his head side to side, noticing it was indeed his own bed. Some discreet shuffling from Nuada had been at play to get here.

A noise he’d never heard before sounded right down his ear with small pants. A growl. Only it was so much more. Dark and sweet and rough and curling around his gut and lighting a fire that raced lightning quick through his insides. Like watching fireworks and when one went off, feeling the light and power flash inside you and light you up with joyful heat and-

Teeth nipped at his neck, painful in brief flashed but ignored as his body came alive, burning from within as John twisted on the small bed to chase the prince’s mouth.

What was he doing to him? John groaned painfully for but a second, and ended it on a moan.

Nuada slid out of his grip like water. All that deadly grace focused on devouring the visible skin on johns neck before swirling a red hot tongue in the dip between his collar bone.

That got a strangled noise out of him. “NuaDa” he fluttered with his hands at the prince’s sides, pressing in to hold and try to control the writhing shape.

“Hmm I like you like this, manageable. Eager” Nuada dipped his head sharply, tongue catching his neck again, only dragging up and up, past just jaw and flicking up just under his eye, leaving a burning impression that felt amazing. It only succeeded in making John arch more, and Nuada got to work flicking his shirt buttons open in order.

John didn’t know how he could be so controlled when he felt like he was going to burn up in a happy ball of hormones and sexual tension.

His brain registered that yes, that probably was the case, since he had a portion of Nuala’s powers and therefore linked to Nuada. He’d be getting a blast of his emotions as well as his own. Perfect.

He didn’t have time to think what the opposite would be for Nuada as the prince had finally gotten his jacket and shirt off and was rolling fully on top of him.

He didn’t know whether to be happy or sad later on when the audio detectors in his room hadn’t gone off. They were there to detect distress signals....and well. John was very happy for them not going off.

Nuada had stayed shockingly. In John’s single bed, pushed himself alongside john for the night, sleeping curled around him like a cat and absorbing as much of Johns body heat as he could. John had shut up about it and fell asleep crushed up against the wall.

....

“We’re all imperfect” John stated, voice pitched low in a whisper and continued to stare at the ceiling. It was another night that Nuada had slipped into the library and not ruined but certainly changed his plans for the night.

“But together. We might just be perfect enough to remake the world. To _all_ flourish. We can’t survive on our own. If any race had to they _would_ die. You and i both know that. Kinda makes me wonder why you’re so-“John waved his hand lightly, indicating Nuada’s sprawled form.

“They killed thousands of us. Not just elves. Ogres. Goblins. Fae. They all died at the hands of humans-”

“So what about Agent Steel- or Michaels- what about the ones that die everyday?” John asked, softening his tone because he knew it was a tough subject. People often died in his line of work.

“You make it sound like those names are important” Nuada huffed, head snuggling down into a pillow.

“You make it sound like they aren’t” John’s voice rang clear, the only sentence that he’d allowed his own intent to push through.

Nuada remained silent after that, his face content and considering. It was enough for for now.

“May i?” John asked gently, hand raised and hovering over Nuada’s head. The prince didn’t so much move but he gave permission in the slow shutting of his eyes. Trusting.

Slowly, John lowered his hand, his first touch a gently as a butterfly on a flower as it landed on Nuada’s head. He left it stutter there for a moment, building his courage for his next act.

A caress. As slow as he could manage, before building in determination he brushed his fingers through strands of pale white hair. It felt like cotton threads individually and then more like running your hand along silk- but sharper. Perhaps they would use even their hair as a weapon-

Nuada sighed happily, head firmly tucked into his pillow and allowing John to rub his head like a lazy cat.

................

The defining moment was when –not one- but many of his shirts and ties went missing. John didn’t find out who had taken them. Until...Nuada.

The elf prince had a smug tilt to his lips as he walked towards John and his small circle of agents...with one of his ties looped around his wrist. John was told later on from security staff monitoring the cameras that his face gave nothing away.

No endless pit of confusion and – _what the hell was going on_ \- plastered for the world to see. No. Cool, calm and collected and certainly not freaking out about Nuada literally parading something of Johns on his sleeve.

John needed to have a word with genji about reading romance novels. Or just giving advice in general. So far he was losing things faster than they could get replaced. And whoever to replace them than-

“Human. I have found one of your cloths to be interesting” the prince dangled his wrist openly in front of John, advertising his find...or theft. John was going with theft.

“Yes prince Nuada. Thank you” John knew better than to reach for the tie, a clear intention that Nuada wasn’t fond of returning things.

The surrounding 3 agents were all eyes, shooting back and forth between the two. It seemed some tactics training was in order if John could detect them so easily, the clear _?_ above all their heads.

Manning would be pissed to see so many agents rendered clueless by such a simple act.

“It is fitting...is it not?” Nuada asked, arm still posed and-

_Did he just ask me if I like how it looks....how he-_ John responded by blinking slowly, eyes on Nuada’s hand and nodded once. No need to insult him. He was bratty enough.

Nuada smirked, dropping his hand back down but not out of sight, the wrist of his shirt pushed up to better advertise Johns tie. Like he’d meant for it all along.

He seemed to have gotten what he wanted, but still waited for another cue. John didn’t know what the next step was meant to be.

The agents all remained fixed like statues, none moving as if to break the moment. That seemed fine to Nuada, who hadn’t so much as glanced at them since his appearance. John however did mind.

“Agents, you have a physical test in 1 hour. Get your gear and be ready. Dont keep Morris waiting” For one single moment, none of them moved, all eyes riveted to Nuada who was still staring at John but now with a searching look.

“Yes...sir” They all eased as one around Nuada, parting like the sea in his presence. He didn’t move an inch, staring down John as if to pick up on a clue John was valiantly hiding from him. The only thing John was hiding was how freaked out he was, and how to get away from said situation.

“Squirt!” A voice boomed from down the corridor.

If you could imagine taking a fragile glass vase and throwing it against the wall, that was how the atmosphere vanished.

Nuada’s face darkened, his stance going rigid and he swept by John with an “I’ll see you in your room” and left.

But now John was left with-

“John!” Abe and Liz chorused together, standing just behind a beaming red giant with equal giddy expressions.

“You came back” Hellboy explained, feet thumping down the corridor towards a frozen John. Whatever agents there had been scattered into side rooms at Hellboys approach. They all seemed to remember him.

All at once hellboy was sweeping him into a one armed hug, ignoring Johns pained yelp at being crushed. “Krauss said that he’d been in contact with you and we didn’t believe the bag of smoke. Wanted to see for ourselves. When did manning let you out the hospital?”

Abe fluttered his hand airily, “Ah you mean ‘you’ didn’t believe him. Lord knows how you whined about getting John out and causing that scene with the nurse station-”

“That was you-“John tried to cut in before Liz was pushing through a gap, folding him up in one of the bests hugs he’d had all year. He sunk into it, hugging back as tight as her and feeling something off. A bulge further down where she was once flat and trim.

He didn’t realise how shocked his face was as he pulled back, holding her out at arm’s length to glance at her stomach- “Liz! Are you- I mean-”

Liz’s happy laughter cut him off thankfully. She nodded, before lifting her hand and twiddling two of her fingers at him. His eyes saw the digits, his brain tried to comprehend what it meant, working it out and John suddenly felt his face twitching in horror and understanding.

“Yeah” Hellboy said somewhere in the background, “Guess who we were thinking of as the ‘nanny’?”

Whatever pained noise that had started to filter out through his mouth, he was thankfully saved by Nuada who swept in, turning John by his shoulders and had marched him right back out the room.

John didn’t register hearing Hellboys “Hey is that Nuada!” and the loud click of his gun being loaded before the door to the outer corridor slammed shut behind him. Clearly he hadn’t got the memo of Nuada working under John’s supervision.

Nuada took him straight to his room, taking pity on him and letting him hide under the covers and pile himself high with pillows and blankets.

When Nuada informed him moments later his noisy black box was going off and that a ‘Manning’ was calling, John let out a loud death groan. _Fuck his life._

End

(There. I Hope your all happy with that!- *blushing furiously*)

 


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